Public Safety
I support law enforcement. I am opposed to defunding the police—the police need to be fully funded. Good law enforcement is about protecting people and protecting our democracy.
The improvement of law enforcement and better law enforcement requires resources, not taking resources away. Police officers are professionals just as doctors, nurses, lawyers and teachers are professionals. Like any other profession, it is crucial that officers are both well supported and well trained, to achieve the high standards required to be effective in their complex roles.
Law enforcement officers must be accountable to people and to the rule of law. Law enforcement agencies need to be sufficiently supported to: (1) recruit the best and the brightest, who are dedicated to upholding the noble mission of protecting and serving all citizens; and (2), train these officers in sound techniques proven to ensure that they treat citizens respectfully and are thoroughly capable of de-escalating charged situations.
Law enforcement agencies are most effective when they have legitimacy in the eyes of the citizens they serve. To foster positive interactions and relationships between the police and communities, law enforcement agencies should be supported in their efforts to expand and enhance their community policing efforts, and to hire officers that demographically reflect the communities they serve.