Rep. Val Demings (D-Fl.), is insisting people who are racist should deeply consider their professional paths before deciding on long-term careers in Law Enforcement â and multiple other fields, for that matter.
During an appearance on âThe Viewâ Monday, the former Florida police chief, who has more than 27 years of Law Enforcement experience, insisted you cannot be racist and hold positions that require fairness and unbiased opinion.
Not only did she stress that racism cannot exist in Law Enforcement, Demings â a veteran Law Enforcement official and a potential vice presidential contender for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden â also argued that it cannot exist in education, housing, or decisions that determine fair employment and wages.
âYou can be a racist if you want to. You just shouldnât be in the police department. You shouldnât be an educator. You shouldnât decide who gets housing. You shouldnât decide who gets jobs and wages,â Demings said.
See Demingsâ remarks below:
Demings also noted the importance of reform, policy changes, and police departments reflecting the diversity of residents in the communities they serve.
âWe need to hire diversity,â Demings said, later adding, âWe need to look at who is training officers. Remember the training officer is the person who sets the standard for whatâs acceptable and unacceptable on the street.â
She continued, âWe also need to continue to build trust with the community which means police need to have regular contact with the communities in which they serve.â
Demings also encouraged local communities to start âlooking withinâ and consider changing the policies they have the power to change now.
Demingsâ appearance on âThe Viewâ follows the release of USA Todayâs 2019 internal investigation into police misconduct within Law Enforcement agencies. The publication revealed that more than 85,000 officers have been investigated for misconduct over the last decade.
The report, which consists of more than 200,000 alleged incidents of misconduct, revealed: âOfficers have beaten members of the public, planted evidence and used their badges to harass women. They have lied, stolen, dealt drugs, driven drunk, and abused their spouses,â as USA Today reports.
Many of the records had been obtained by state agencies, prosecutors, and Law Enforcement agencies had been âfiled awayâ and ârarely seen by anyone outside their departments,â the publication notes.
