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Congressman Cohen Re-Introduces Police Accountability Measures

February 25, 2021

Bills aimed at improving police-community relations, diversity training

Bills aimed at improving police-community relations, diversity training

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today introduced three bills designed to rebuild trust between police departments and the communities they serve by improving police training, collecting better data on police misconduct, and increasing police accountability. The bills -- the National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act, the Police CAMERA Act, and Police Training and Independent Review Act -- were incorporated in the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act last June.

The National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act bill would require federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to collect, compile, and submit data to the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics on the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers. The Police Creating Accountability by Making Effective Recording Available (CAMERA) Act would authorize the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to state, local, and tribal governments to purchase or lease body-worn cameras for use by law enforcement officers and to implement body-worn camera programs. The Police Training and Independent Review Act would authorize the DOJ to award grants to states that require law enforcement officers to be trained in diversity and sensitivity and require an independent prosecutor to be appointed to investigate and prosecute alleged offenses involving the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers that result in death or injury.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"These critical measures will go a long way in increasing public confidence that law enforcement will treat all members of the public equally by assuring that police officer training and accountability lead to greater sensitivity to community expectations. At a time of particular concern about police misconduct in minority communities and the perception that implicit and explicit bias motivates police decision-making, these measures will make our communities safer and encourage greater confidence that those who protect and serve will do so with accountability and a commitment to fairness."