December 3, 2014
Current Events
Following the shooting death this past summer of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO, Brown’s parents implored government officials to require body cams on police, so that no other family would have to endure the loss of a child at the hands of police. With tensions in Ferguson high and protests popping up across the country, President Obama heard their cry and sprung into action.
The president has proposed $263 million in funding to help avoid another disaster like Ferguson. His proposed three-year funding package includes $75 million for a Body Worn Cameras Partnership, with the rest of the funding going toward training and resources for law enforcement officials on engaging with communities and reforming their practices.
The president also plans to issue an executive order to overhaul how and when police get military weapons, which has been widely used against civilians in Ferguson and across the country. The presence of such equipment has only escalated tensions between police and the community it was hired to serve and has actually created more civil unrest than it prevented.
In the coming months, Mr. Obama will ask departments to list what equipment they need and why they need it. This information should provide a strong analysis of how such equipment is used and when it should be deployed.
The president’s proposal came in conjunction with additional plans to put an end to racial profiling. In the hopes of easing tensions between police and the community, Mr. Obama directed Attorney General Eric Holder to meet with law enforcement and community leaders across the country to find a solution to the profiling problem.
“In the coming days, I will announce updated justice department guidance regarding profiling by federal law enforcement,” Mr. Holder said during a speech at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. “This will institute rigorous new standards and robust safeguards to help end racial profiling once and for all.”
“Our police officers can not be and can not be seen as an occupying force disconnected to the communities that they serve,” he added to thunderous applause.
If you’ve ever been harassed by the police, ever wondered how you could possibly prove it, or ever thought about filming the confrontation but was unsure if it was legal, President Obama’s proposed plan should provide you with a definitive answer. In the meantime, if you are unsure of the law, here is a handy guide on your rights in filming the police. Share it with your family and friends. It just might save your life!
and to eradicate racial profiling.
This should shut everybody up who thinks Obama isn't doing anything about Ferguson. He's the president of the United States not the president of black america. But he still got his right hand man Eric Holder to stand in for him and handle things. I like their team work. If they can get every cop wearing a camera this will already shut down a lot of the racial profiling that happens. Cops won't be able to get away with so much anymore knowing they're always on tape. I knew my man Barack wouldn't let us down.