Trump begins police reform with executive order

[Prayer Warrior]

According to Fox News, the "safe policing for safe communities" executive order was signed by Trump. It has these three objectives:

1. Credentialing and certification standards to adopt best practices on use of force
2. Info sharing to track excessive use of force complaints
3. Experts in mental health, homelessness, and addiction to join police

In a speech to the nation, Trump said he will be working with Congress on additional measures.

Here are some questions to consider.

• How far should the federal government go in creating and enforcing policy pertaining to how local police departments operate?
• Should this be left up to State governments?

(I ask that comments in this thread please be restricted to policies pertaining to policing and not personal remarks against individuals. Thanks!)

 

[Enoch111]

It has these three objectives

Once again, Mr. Trump is REACTING rather than ACTING.

Given the attacks on police officers as well as the recent stupidity of police officers, any Executive Order at this time should have been comprehensive and covered all aspects of policing, including the funding of police forces.

Since anarchy has become a fact of life, perhaps he should have seriously converted all police forces into the US Marshal service. Which would enable the President to address the issues where police are resigning, or walking off their jobs, or taking a knee.

"For the American people, the Marshals personified the authority of the federal government within their communities. The frequent outbursts of opposition to Federal power that characterize much of American history were often first directed at individual Marshals or Deputies. The Marshal, in effect, was the point of contact in the friction between the national government and local communities."

 

[Prayer Warrior]

Once again, Mr. Trump is REACTING rather than ACTING.

Given the attacks on police officers as well as the recent stupidity of police officers, any Executive Order at this time should have been comprehensive and covered all aspects of policing, including the funding of police forces.

Since anarchy has become a fact of life, perhaps he should have seriously converted all police forces into the US Marshal service. Which would enable the President to address the issues where police are resigning, or walking off their jobs, or taking a knee.

"For the American people, the Marshals personified the authority of the federal government within their communities. The frequent outbursts of opposition to Federal power that characterize much of American history were often first directed at individual Marshals or Deputies. The Marshal, in effect, was the point of contact in the friction between the national government and local communities."

Perhaps it's too little too late, but I don't see this executive order as you see it. I think it could be a good start in improving the situation. Congress is also working on solutions, like Trump said. Of course, any bills coming out of Congress right now will probably be riddled with political nonsense. But we can pray that some solutions will be forthcoming....

Edit: After thinking about this, I've concluded that local police reform probably should be handled by the State governments. I've posted an article below.

 

[Enoch111]

I think it could be a good start in improving the situation.

This is where most people go wrong. "Improving the situation" is NOT what is needed at this time. RADICAL REFORMS are absolutely necessary in view of this:

"Police in various American cities especially on the East and West coasts have stood down while fanatical mobs of leftists unilaterally determine which public monuments and statues should be toppled, destroyed, and in some cases beheaded — as in the recent "beheading" of a Christopher Columbus statue at a public park in Boston."
Woke Mobs Now Destroying Statues Of Leading Anti-Slavery Figures

When police "stand down" in the face of mob violence and vandalism, you know that ordinary policing has come to an end. We could go into many other recent incidents, but it all boils down to the fact that the policing of cities and towns must change radically right now otherwise mob rule will prevail. Mr Trump always seems to have solutions which are too little and too late.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

This is where most people go wrong. "Improving the situation" is NOT what is needed at this time. RADICAL REFORMS are absolutely necessary in view of this:

"Police in various American cities especially on the East and West coasts have stood down while fanatical mobs of leftists unilaterally determine which public monuments and statues should be toppled, destroyed, and in some cases beheaded — as in the recent "beheading" of a Christopher Columbus statue at a public park in Boston."
Woke Mobs Now Destroying Statues Of Leading Anti-Slavery Figures

When police "stand down" in the face of mob violence and vandalism, you know that ordinary policing has come to an end. We could go into many other recent incidents, but it all boils down to the fact that the policing of cities and towns must change radically right now otherwise mob rule will prevail. Mr Trump always seems to have solutions which are too little and too late.

I looked at the article you linked. It's a shame that mobs are defacing statues of America's Founding Fathers who wrote our constitution, which guarantees the right to protest peacefully. They don't seem to understand or appreciate this.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

Once again, Mr. Trump is REACTING rather than ACTING.

Given the attacks on police officers as well as the recent stupidity of police officers, any Executive Order at this time should have been comprehensive and covered all aspects of policing, including the funding of police forces.

Since anarchy has become a fact of life, perhaps he should have seriously converted all police forces into the US Marshal service. Which would enable the President to address the issues where police are resigning, or walking off their jobs, or taking a knee.

"For the American people, the Marshals personified the authority of the federal government within their communities. The frequent outbursts of opposition to Federal power that characterize much of American history were often first directed at individual Marshals or Deputies. The Marshal, in effect, was the point of contact in the friction between the national government and local communities."

@Enoch111
I would think that laws pertaining to local policing have mostly been left up to the states. It seems that the states should handle policies and legislation about this issue. Why aren't we hearing from governors? Do we really want the federal government controlling our local police forces?

 

[Prayer Warrior]

Federalizing our local police forces has been an issue for many years. Here's an article that discusses this issue. It's a few years old, but it offers some good info and makes some good points. I asked the question, do we really want the federal government in control of our local police forces. I would say absolutely not! Why aren't governors handling this?


Friday, 06 March 2015
Obama Unveils Plan to Further Nationalize Local Police
Written by Alex Newman



The Obama administration and its “Task Force on 21st Century Policing” are under fire after unveiling an unconstitutional plot to impose federal “standards” on state and local police forces, which critics say is in effect an underhanded plan to further nationalize and federalize law enforcement. Widely lambasted as “Common Core” for police, the Obama plan outlines dozens of controversial “recommendations” to be foisted on state and local law-enforcement agencies using federal tax dollars as bribes — the same unconstitutional process used to impose the hugely unpopular national “Common Core” standards on states and schools nationwide. Opponents say it is part of a dangerous long-term plan that must be opposed.

The controversial Obama administration demands for national standards for police come a few months after United Nations boss Ban Ki Moon called for American police to obey “international standards.” The efforts to further nationalize and federalize law enforcement — a state and local responsibility under America’s constitutional system — are also in line with Obama’s campaign rhetoric about building a “civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the U.S. military. Of course, as Congress revealed in an official report, the Communist effort to nationalize American police forces goes back decades.

The Justice Department agency that would be responsible for bribing and bludgeoning police agencies into submission to Obama’s “national standards” is also among the outfits that have been abused to militarize law enforcement all across America. As The New American reported last year amid the George Soros-funded chaos in Ferguson, Obama attacked the militarization of law enforcement — even though his administration has played a crucial role in militarizing police departments nationwide. The federal government, of course, has no constitutional authority to meddle in state and local law enforcement to begin with.

After meeting with his “task force” on “21st century policing,” created via executive order, Obama celebrated the scheme to bring law enforcement further under the control of his administration. He also argued that it must be done quickly. “I’m going to be asking Eric Holder and the Justice Department and his successor to go through all of these recommendations so that we can start implementing them,” Obama explained. “I know one area that’s going to be of great interest is whether we can expand the [DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)] program that in the past has been very effective, continues to be effective, but is largely underfunded.”

To Obama, of course, virtually every unconstitutional bloated federal agency and program is “underfunded.” However, in reality, the Constitution he swore to uphold does not authorize a “COPS” program or anything like it, so any funding at all is too much funding based on the obective standard laid out in the Supreme Law of the Land. As the interim report was being released on March 2, though, Obama glossed over those issues, saying the plot offered a “great opportunity” to “really transform how we think about community law enforcement relations.” “We need to seize that opportunity,” Obama added, echoing the “never let a crisis go to waste” rhetoric of other statists. “This is something that I’m going to stay very focused on in the months to come.”

According to the interim report by Obama’s task force, two DOJ tentacles, the COPS scheme and the Office of Justice Programs, “should provide technical assistance and incentive funding to jurisdictions with small police agencies that take steps toward shared services, in return for receiving federal funds.” Why the federal government cares whether small police departments share services was not entirely clear, though critics see a transparent effort to further strip local communities of their right to self-government and local accountability. The Office of Justice Programs recently came under fire for providing taxpayer-funded grants to a “community group” in New York that participated in the production of a rap video literally promoting the murder of police officers.

The stepped-up federalization of law-enforcement scheming also involves bribing state and local law enforcement with U.S. tax dollars to feed even more information on citizens to Washington, D.C., bureaucracies already infamous for abusing sensitive and private information. “There is a lack of uniformity in data collection throughout law enforcement, and only patchwork methods of near real time information exists,” the controversial report complained. “These problems are especially critical in light of the threats from terrorism and cybercrime.” The Justice Department came under major criticism in 2012 after it was exposed training state and local police to link mainstream political activism with terrorism — including just the display of political bumper stickers!

(Continued in next post)

 

[Prayer Warrior]

(Continued from above)

Critics say Obama’s plan ought to be ringing alarm bells. “Americans everywhere should be very concerned about federal oversight of local police agencies,” explained former detective Jim Fitzgerald, the national field director for The John Birch Society, the parent organization of this magazine. The constitutionalist group, which has chapters in all 50 states, has been running a campaign for decades called “Support Your Local Police and Keep them Independent.” The effort is meant to, among other goals, protect local communities from having their police departments turned into tentacles of an all-powerful federal government.

“These steps to exercise and take control over police departments should raise a red flag among police officials and give deep concern to anyone who understands the history of national police forces,” continued Fitzgerald. “Have we so soon forgotten the Gestapo or the KGB, both national police agencies, that terrorized the citizens of Germany and Russia and led to the imprisonment and deaths of tens thousands of innocent men and women? Has there ever been a national police force that benefited the citizens who live under it? Never!”

Of course, as readers of The New American know well, the Department of Justice has long been criticized for its efforts to hijack control of local law enforcement from citizens and communities. The current head of the DOJ, Attorney General Eric Holder, remains in criminal contempt of Congress for trying to cover up his “Fast and Furious” arming of Mexican drug cartels — a plot that official documents showed was being exploited to advance more attacks on the gun rights of Americans. Several of the Obama administration’s “Fast and Furious” guns have turned up at crime scenes in which U.S. law-enforcement officers were murdered.

In 2013, meanwhile, the Justice Department was exposed working with an extremist anti-Christian group, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which inspired a deranged homosexual activist to attempt a mass-murder terrorist attack on a pro-family organization. The year before that, the DOJ was exposed demonizing Americans as potential terrorists for their political views in controversial “training programs” for state and local police. The abuses are almost endless, with more than two thirds of Americans saying the federal government is “out of control” and a threat to liberty.

The history behind efforts to nationalize police forces should also spark alarm over Obama’s plan. It is worth recalling that Communist efforts to nationalize local police forces across the United States date back to at least the 1960s. Toward that end, communist agitators, along with their front groups and useful idiots, have long created problems or exploited existing ones to drum up hatred and violence against police. In recent anti-police marches, communist-made signs and slogans were visible everywhere. But it is hardly a new development.

In an official 1961 report entitled “A Communist Plot Against the Free World Police,” the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Congress explained how communist agents across the West were working to nationalize and federalize police forces — with a special focus on the United States. The explosive study documents, among other elements of the strategy, the forming of mobs to attack police. Obama’s own radical background and associations with communist terrorists — including launching his political career in the home of Castro-backed terrorist leader Bill Ayers — should provide further cause for concern. His racialist anti-police comments, blurted out every time a suitable incident emerges to be exploited, should also offer warnings of the true agenda.

In the end, the Constitution does not authorize Obama’s “national standards” for police, or the taxpayer-funded bribes being used to spread them nationwide. That means the scheme is unconstitutional on its face. Even if it were constitutional, though, history shows that it would be a terrible and dangerous idea. Police departments should be responsible to the communities that fund them and that they are supposed to serve — not Obama, Holder, or the UN and its “international standards.” To allow further federalization of America’s police agencies is a sure recipe for disaster.

Source: Obama Unveils Plan to Further Nationalize Local Police

 

[Prayer Warrior]

The following quote from the article above is particularly troubling. Is this what we're seeing today?

In an official 1961 report entitled “A Communist Plot Against the Free World Police,” the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Congress explained how communist agents across the West were working to nationalize and federalize police forces — with a special focus on the United States. The explosive study documents, among other elements of the strategy, the forming of mobs to attack police.​

 

[Enoch111]

@Enoch111
I would think that laws pertaining to local policing have mostly been left up to the states. It seems that the states should handle policies and legislation about this issue. Why aren't we hearing from governors? Do we really want the federal government controlling our local police forces?

This is what I am trying to get across. The existing system of policing HAS COLLAPSED. The evidence is in the daily news reports. And the push for defunding is definitely being implemented by the Leftist mayors and governors. So you have two options (1) total anarchy or (2) serious, effective policing under the federal US Marshal authority, backed by a proper and comprehensive presidential Executive Order (rather than hit-and-miss ad hoc decisions from the White House). This will be better than declaring Martial Law.

Why is it that no one in the Trump administration is getting a handle on what is going on in the country? Looks like everyone is asleep at the wheel, and the *gangsters* are having a heyday.

 

[Grailhunter]

Once again, Mr. Trump is REACTING rather than ACTING.

Given the attacks on police officers as well as the recent stupidity of police officers, any Executive Order at this time should have been comprehensive and covered all aspects of policing, including the funding of police forces.

Since anarchy has become a fact of life, perhaps he should have seriously converted all police forces into the US Marshal service. Which would enable the President to address the issues where police are resigning, or walking off their jobs, or taking a knee.

"For the American people, the Marshals personified the authority of the federal government within their communities. The frequent outbursts of opposition to Federal power that characterize much of American history were often first directed at individual Marshals or Deputies. The Marshal, in effect, was the point of contact in the friction between the national government and local communities."

How about a requirement that every household own a loaded Tompson?

 

[Grailhunter]

Perhaps it's too little too late, but I don't see this executive as you see it. I think it could be a good start in improving the situation. Congress is also working on solutions, like Trump said. Of course, any bills coming out of Congress right now will probably be riddled with political nonsense. But we can pray that some solutions will be forthcoming....

Edit: After thinking about this, I've concluded that local police reform probably should be handled by the State governments. I've posted an article below.

But as it is, it is a starting point.

 

[Grailhunter]

A lot of things could be suggested along the lines of standardization, training, a those standards and training and posted in a format that t approved at the federal level in such manner that judges cannot over rule them. Which would me allowing the process to be ruled against by a judge so that these standards would be ruled on by the Supreme Court.

But before that "We" law enforcement, Police departments, Mayors, Governors, and judges have to stop getting on our knees and worshiping the criminal element.

 

[Enoch111]

How about a requirement that every household own a loaded Tompson?

Sounds good for personal and family protection, but citizens should still receive effective policing in order to maintain law and order. The solutions for effective policing are all there, but the political will is absent.

Black Sheriff David Clarke should be given the responsibility --under federal jurisdiction -- to clean up the mess in every city within 30 days. I believe he would get the job done, with Judge Jeanine Pirro as the Attorney General.

Every effort should be made to prevent the establishment of a police state, while giving ordinary citizens confidence that mob rule will not prevail, and the police officers will not abuse their authority.

 

[Grailhunter]

Sounds good for personal and family protection, but citizens should still receive effective policing in order to maintain law and order. The solutions for effective policing are all there, but the political will is absent.

Black Sheriff David Clarke should be given the responsibility --under federal jurisdiction -- to clean up the mess in every city within 30 days. I believe he would get the job done, with Judge Jeanine Pirro as the Attorney General.

Every effort should be made to prevent the establishment of a police state, while giving ordinary citizens confidence that mob rule will not prevail, and the police officers will not abuse their authority.

You are right....that is joke....per say...but then again, they are demanding that police departments and courts and prisons be shutdown so inline with their proposal of self policing the Thompson would come in handy. As well as a law that makes it legal to use deadly force within your neighborhood so you can draw down on the drive by shooters and drug peddlers and the like. ie anarchy and chaos rules.

 

[Waiting on him]

You are right....that is joke....per say...but then again, they are demanding that police departments and courts and prisons be shutdown so inline with their proposal of self policing the Thompson would come in handy. As well as a law that makes it legal to use deadly force within your neighborhood so you can draw down on the drive by shooters and drug peddlers and the like. ie anarchy and chaos rules.

It's a stretch of the imagination, but it's possible the feds will do a better job with local law and order than they have with the FBI and other federal agencies?

 

[Waiting on him]

What in my opinion is the problem is you have the unsaved trying to govern the unsaved. It's totally ridiculous.

What I find most interesting is Christian men and women debating how this can be accomplished.

 

[Bobby Jo]

Once again, Mr. Trump is REACTING rather than ACTING.

RE-ACTING is ACTING. So is RESPONDING, so is ADJUSTING, so is COMPENSATING, etc., etc. -- Did you think Trump or ANYONE ELSE anticipated that a Minneapolis Police Officer would push POLICE BRUTALITY to the brink of RIOTS? Was Trump's response INCORRECT, -- or do you just want people to think that you're so smart that you have BETTER ANSWERS.

So if you do, then PLEASE present them, -- so we can accuse YOU of REACTING instead of ACTING, because OBVIOUSLY YOU were the ONLY ONE who saw it coming before it HAPPENED.


Whew,
Bobby Jo

 

[Bobby Jo]

...
Edit: After thinking about this, I've concluded that local police reform probably should be handled by the State governments. ...

I DO AGREE, but it makes sense that the President encourage States and Municipalities to adopt measures which will help protect the community against the few POLICE (some 80-90%) who exceed their lawful authority and abuse our Constitutional Right and Protections.

So KUDO's to President Trump who identifies a problem, conceives a solution, and TAKES ACTION. But personally, I expect that we will not be able to reverse the POLICE STATE momentum, either in our streets or in the Highest Levels of our Judicial System. -- And the rest of our declining society facets are also on parallel paths.

Bobby Jo

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I always thought that their were some black spots in the USA that the police did not patrol. is that true. or is it only at night.