WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a news conference call as he helped introduce the Justice in Policing Act this week, a comprehensive package that puts important policing reforms into place, helps ends racial profiling in the criminal justice system and works to improve police-community relations.

“People all around our state and our country are calling for meaningful change in our justice system, and it’s up to us to show them we’re listening, and we’re taking action,” said Brown.

The Justice in Policing Act would:

  • Ban chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants at the federal level and limits the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement.
  • Establish a National Police Misconduct Registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave an agency from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability.
  • Mandates the use of dashboard cameras and body cameras for federal officers and requires state and local law enforcement to use existing federal funds to ensure the use of police body cameras.
  • Create law enforcement development and training programs to develop best practices and requires the creation of law enforcement accreditation standard recommendations based on President Obama’s Task force on 21st Century policing.
  • Make important legal reforms to increase police accountability and transparency.

Brown was joined on today’s call by Stephanie Hightower, President and CEO of the Columbus Urban League, to discuss the importance of Brown’s bill. 

“If we’ve learned one lesson from American history it is this: civil rights protections demand federal intervention,” said Ms. Hightower. “Individual states couldn’t halt the spread of slavery. Only a national Civil War achieved this goal. Individual states didn’t guarantee equal access, even to the voting booth.  Only federal intervention, first during Reconstruction and then again through the 1964 and 1968 Civil Rights acts opened these doors.  Separate but unequal didn’t end until the U.S. Supreme Court spoke in 1954.  Clearly, policing reform that protects the lives of all people won’t happen until federal leaders once again speak with a united voice. On behalf of the Columbus Urban League, we’re proud to support our national leaders if they act to ensure real justice for people of color.”

The package also includes Brown’s End Racial and Religious Profiling Act, which would better enforce equal protection laws and work to end racial profiling in the criminal justice system. 

More information on the Justice in Policing Act can be found HERE.

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