Press Release: Cheh Statement on the Death of George Floyd & Policing in the District

News Release — Ward 3 DC Council member Mary Cheh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 31, 2020

Communications Director: Kelly Whittier

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, May 31st, Councilmember Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) issued the following statement:

“A man, begging for his life, was murdered by the Minneapolis police who were sworn to serve and protect him. The circumstances of George Floyd’s death are abhorrent to any person of conscience. And it is also a call to action. The targeted review of racist and discriminatory policing practices is the right and just thing to do in our country and in the District of Columbia. Although we have made very significant improvements over the years, and that is certainly true since my experience investigating the unlawful Pershing Park arrests made in 2002, there is much more work that could be done. We can be the model and, as the Nation’s Capital, we should be.

Some improvements may require legislative action, such as limiting qualified immunity or a rule that, unless a suspected crime is one of violence, that citations be issued in lieu of arrests. Other means of improving local policing practices will require changes in police protocols and enhanced accountability. This may relate to academy training or officer retraining with particular prioritization of de-escalation tactics and nonviolent methods of restraint. Underneath all instances of improper and discriminatory policing is the undercurrent of implicit biases and prejudice, and neither should be tolerated in the District of Columbia.

To that end, I will work with my colleagues on the Committee of the Judiciary and Public Safety, under Councilmember Allen’s leadership, to pursue meaningful and substantive change. Inclusivity and openness should be at the forefront of this process, and I will ask the Council to create a working group of citizens, police, policing experts, and representatives of community groups to conduct a top to bottom review of police practices and to make policy and legislative recommendations.”

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