[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17401]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, let me just thank my colleagues. Certainly, 
it has been a high honor to serve as chair of the Congressional Black 
Caucus, and I will express that later on today at our meeting.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the recent tragedies that have 
occurred in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, but also the positive 
change that can come out of these tragedies.
  In November 2012, Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell lost their 
lives following a high-speed chase involving more than 60 police 
vehicles. Cleveland police officers fired 137 rounds into their 
vehicle. The pair were unarmed.
  I immediately wrote to the Department of Justice seeking an 
independent review and investigation surrounding the circumstances that 
led to this use of deadly force by law enforcement.
  Following the death of Michael Brown and the unrest that followed, I 
again wrote to the Department of Justice in August 2014 asking for 
action. While waiting on the results of the Department of Justice 
investigation, tragedy again struck my district on November 22, 2014, 
when a 12-year-old boy, Tamir Rice, was shot dead by a Cleveland police 
officer in a park outside the Cudell Recreation Center.
  While my heart is still heavy, I believe some good will rise from the 
ashes of this tragedy.
  On Thursday, December 4, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the 
Department of Justice had concluded its review and found that the 
Cleveland Division of Police had exhibited systemic deficiencies and 
engaged in a pattern of excessive force. The city of Cleveland is 
committed to righting these wrongs through a court-enforced consent 
decree.
  The DOJ's announcement in Cleveland last week is an encouraging first 
step to tackling the systemic issues that are plaguing our communities. 
However, let us not for one second think our work is done. The use of 
excessive force, particularly when it comes to minority communities, is 
not a concern unique to Cleveland. The deaths of Michael Brown and Eric 
Garner are tragic reminders that this is a national concern.
  The killing of men of color by those sworn to protect and serve must 
stay foremost in our minds until it stops.
  I am encouraged by the young people who have taken to the streets to 
protest peacefully. They have finally found something that has 
energized them to be active and vocal about the change they seek. I 
urge them to continue to let their voices be heard to keep up the 
drumbeat for justice.
  Having worked in the criminal justice system for many years, I 
understand more than most that police have a very difficult and 
dangerous job and deserve our respect and our thanks. Each day our 
police officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve, and 
they should be commended for the work they do. Yet we cannot ignore 
that there exists a feeling of distrust of police in many communities 
across the country. This must end today. A new era, an era of peace and 
collaborative community involvement, must begin now.

                          ____________________