The Fraternal Order of Police Address Congress About Police Reform Measures
The Fraternal Order of Police on Wednesday deemed negotiations on police reform legislation on the brink of collapse and urged lawmakers not to give up on a potential bipartisan deal.
“Given the politics of the moment, we seem to be poised to undo more than a year’s worth of work toward common sense criminal justice reform,” said Patrick Yoes, the group’s president, in a statement. “Demagoguery and scare tactics have jeopardized the future of these efforts and may well have derailed the negotiations.”
The statement comes after negotiators punted a June deadline for reaching an agreement on a bill that would overhaul American policing after years of high-profile brutality and bias cases affecting people of color. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) have spent months negotiating a potential compromise with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), but major sticking points remain unresolved after lengthy talks.
