JAN STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXPECTED EO ON POLICING: STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

(WASHINGTON) – Please attribute the following statement to Holly Harris, President and Executive Director of Justice Action Network, the country’s largest organization focused on bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation and advocacy at the federal and state level: 

“The President’s Executive Order is a step in the right direction, and sets the table for difficult negotiations soon to come that will determine how our country’s leaders respond to America’s call for transformational change. The pillars of this Order, incentivizing accreditation programs for law enforcement, data sharing on use of force infractions, and measures to remove homelessness, addiction and mental health issues from the purview of policing are all ambitious initiatives that present many opportunities and challenges. It is critical that the agencies responsible for developing these initiatives involve impacted families throughout the process, and that the White House puts its full power behind both implementation and the legislative process that follows. The pathway is paved for Congress to unite behind bipartisan measures that can start to heal our country. America is crying out for leaders to tackle a crisis that has roiled every part of this nation, from the largest urban centers to the smallest towns in rural counties. We urge Congress to meet the moment, put people above partisanship, and agree on a broad package of reforms they can send to the President’s desk.”