Archive: Bridging the Divide Between Police and Communities — CURE’s Recommendations to Congress on Police Reform

In light of Vice President Kamala Harris’s likely nomination for president on the Democratic ticket, we’re republishing this post from February 2023. Harris accused police officers of murdering Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and she helped raise bail money for rioters in the summer of 2020. — BCN Editor

In light of recent developments across the nation, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) provided recommendations to Members of Congress on police reform.

CURE honors the service of police officers who risk their lives to serve and protect our communities. However, CURE also recognizes that bad cops can cause enormous damage to their communities and undercut the public’s trust in the entire profession of policing.

Reforming qualified immunity and eliminating collective bargaining over police disciplinary matters may provide a means to break the current deadlock and advance the stated goals of legislators across the political spectrum.

As the recommendations note, the Wall Street Journal editorial board, the Democrat Mayor of Minneapolis (the city where George Floyd was killed), and the former assistant general counsel of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) agree that collective bargaining over disciplinary issues has prevented cities from holding police officers accountable for misconduct.

The recommendations also note Colorado’s shared liability law, which allows police departments to hold police officers accountable for a small portion of a judgment (5 percent or $25,000, whichever is less) that is assessed against the department if it determines the officer “did not act upon a good faith and reasonable belief” that their conduct was lawful.

Policing should be a local issue, not a national one. But the issue of civil rights is a national issue, so congressional action is appropriate when such rights need protection. We need to strike a balance that enables police officers to act appropriately to protect the public and defend themselves, but we also need to ensure that police officers who engage in misconduct are held accountable for their actions.

As CURE continues to work towards moving forward on this issue, CURE Founder and President Star Parker wrote on qualified immunity and unions in her weekly column, which appeared in local and national publications across the country, including the Daily Signal and Newsmax. Star also contributed a video segment to Straight Arrow News as well.

Following George Floyd’s death, CURE issued a report entitled, “Police and Communities: Bridging the Divide,” that provides detailed information and recommendations on the topic of police reform. It can be found at https://curepolicy.org/report/police-and-communities

CURE is a policy and research center dedicated to fighting poverty and restoring dignity through messages of faith, freedom and personal responsibility. CURE seeks free-market solutions to provide education, employment, healthcare and the opportunity for black families to grow and their communities to flourish.

Photo credit: Inventorchris (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved