Bishop T.D. Jakes pushes for action plan on police reform
EEW Magazine Online // News // Police Reform
In the wake of the recent killing of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers, global spiritual leader and elder statesman Bishop T.D. Jakes is calling for a national conversation on policing and race to be immediately followed by an action plan for police reform.
In a pointed opinion piece published on FoxNews.com, Jakes says now is the time to put in place a response with buy-in from community leaders, clergy, police unions, the U.S. Justice Department and elected officials.
Black Lives Matter protesters congregate on Boston Common (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
The plan must address longstanding issues like the implementation of de-escalation training and the lack of standardized hiring practices for the nation's 18,000 police departments. It must also include tough measures such as cutting or eliminating funding for recalcitrant police departments.
"The ongoing demonstrations around the nation offer a glimpse into what the future looks like if nothing is done," Jakes writes.
"Doing nothing will destroy our society," adds Jakes, pastor of the 30,000-member The Potter's House located in Dallas, TX. "Mutual antipathy between police and the black community further exacerbates racial tensions in the country at large. It generates outrage not only domestically but also internationally, making a mockery of our professed commitment to stated ideals of liberty and justice. Further, it gives comfort to our enemies abroad who are eagerly awaiting opportunities to exploit our nation's biggest Achilles heel: racial strife."
Jakes says Christians have a moral imperative to take action instead of doing nothing. He quotes the words from the prophet Isaiah: "Learn to do good: seek justice, correct oppression."
The Associated Press reports that Congressional Democrats, powered by the Congressional Black Caucus, are preparing a sweeping package of police reforms as pressure builds on the federal government to respond to the death of George Floyd and others in law enforcement interactions.
With the urgency of mass protests outside their doors, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working furiously to draft what could become one of the most ambitious efforts in years to oversee the way law enforcement works. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California, both former presidential candidates, are expected to announce a package in coming days, with a House bill coming soon.
Both the Senate and House efforts are expected to include changes to police accountability laws, such as revising immunity provisions, and creating a database of police use-of-force incidents. Revamped training requirements are planned, too, among them a ban on the use of choke holds. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has endorsed such a ban.
