Letter to Palm Beach County Commissioners Hal Valeche, Gregg Weiss, Dave Kerner, Robert Weinroth, Mary Lou Berger, Melissa McKinlay and Mack Bernard; and Palm Beach County Mayors Keith James, Gail Coniglio, Shelly Petrolia, Steven Grant, Michael Brown, Anne Gerwig, Kristine de Haseth, Pam Triolo, Scott Singer, David Steward and Ronnie Felder - Hastings, Frankel, Deutch Urge Immediate Local Action on Police Reform

Letter

Dear Palm Beach County Commissioners and Mayors:

Following the shocking brutal murder of George Floyd and others at the hands of police and the overwhelming response for the need for change from Americans across the country and in Palm Beach County, we are writing you to urge immediate action on police reform.

Yesterday, the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act: bold, unprecedented reforms to curb police brutality, end racial profiling and eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement. This legislation will transform the culture of policing to address systemic racism and help save lives as it holds police accountable and increases transparency.

Specifically, the bill:

Bans chokeholds;
Stops no-knock warrants;
Ends the qualified immunity doctrine that is a barrier to holding police officers accountable for wrongful conduct;
Combats racial profiling;
Mandates data collection, including body cameras and dashboard cameras; and
Establishes new standards for policing.

With that said, while we respectfully suggest that this bill offers a blueprint for change, we are urging state and local officials not to wait for passage of this legislation before taking needed action on the local level. In that regard, we strongly recommend that you take the necessary steps to review and change the policy and procedures of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office and local police departments where appropriate.

We believe that reform will be a step towards racial justice and benefit the many good law enforcement officers that serve us everyday.

Sincerely,

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