[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 64 (Thursday, April 30, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE LOCAL TASK FORCES ON 21ST CENTURY POLICING ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2015

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Local Task Forces on 
21st Century Policing Act, to assist localities in carrying out some of 
the recommendations of President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century 
Policing and the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services, both of which detail the need to strengthen 
relations between local communities and local law enforcement. The bill 
would provide grants to local police departments to create local task 
forces on 21st century policing to bring police, representatives of the 
community, and public officials together to identify issues in their 
own communities, best policing practices for local police, and other 
ways to strengthen relations between the community and police 
departments. Existing funds from the Department of Justice's Grant 
Program would support local governments establishing the task forces.
  The task forces, modeled after President Obama's Task Force on 21st 
Century Policing, would allow local communities to identify the best 
ways to create an effective partnership between local law enforcement 
and the community they serve while reducing crime and increasing trust. 
The task forces could serve as a resource to address racial profiling 
in the Unites States by creating a partnership that encourages each 
party to take ownership of the issues and then proceeding to implement 
practical policing practices acceptable to all concerned.
  The creation of task forces could be an important step toward easing 
the tensions between local law enforcement and the community. In 
addition, the task forces would serve to engage local law enforcement 
and local stakeholders in a transparent public process instead of being 
at odds. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of 
legislation.

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