PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS TAKING UNPRECEDENTED STEPS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEIR COMMUNITIES

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2020 PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS TAKING UNPRECEDENTED STEPS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEIR COMMUNITIES “We must invest more energy and resources in police training and recruiting and community engagement.” – President Donald J. Trump   IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES: President Donald J. Trump is taking historic action to increase the adoption of best practices in law enforcement and support a safe and secure America. President Trump is issuing a new Executive Order that will encourage law enforcement agencies to implement best practices and protect the communities they serve. Our law enforcement officers provide critical protection to all Americans, and we need to work collectively to strengthen relationships across our country. Under the Order, the Attorney General will allocate certain grant funding to only those law enforcement agencies that meet high standards, including around use-of-force and de-escalation, as credentialed by reputable independent bodies. The Order provides incentives for law enforcement agencies to use a nationwide database to track terminations, criminal convictions, and civil judgments against law enforcement officers for excessive use-of-force, which will create accountability between agencies. The Administration will prioritize training and other programs for police and social workers responding to incidents involving the mentally ill, addicted, and homeless. President Trump is directing his Administration to develop and propose new legislation to Congress to further the policies of the Order and build community engagement. UNITING AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: President Trump is taking action to unite our Nation and ensure safer communities for all Americans. Every day, law enforcement officers make great sacrifices to keep our citizens safe. Last year alone, 89 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. In 2018, our police arrested nearly 12,000 people for murder and manslaughter, 25,000 people for rape, and nearly 1.5 million for assault. The overwhelming majority of the law enforcement community bravely perform their duties with integrity and honor. Close ties between law enforcement and their communities are important in all communities. President Trump’s Order seeks to redouble our efforts as a Nation to engage directly with our neighbors and secure lasting relationships across all communities. KEEPING AMERICANS SAFE: President Trump is improving fairness and equality in our criminal justice system, while keeping our communities safe. President Trump has led the way on groundbreaking criminal justice reform, taking a smart-on-crime approach to make our communities safer. The President brought together a broad coalition including law enforcement, faith groups, community organizations, and more to support the First Step Act. The President established the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, examining how to improve community relations between the public and law enforcement. President Trump revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods to help reduce violent crime in communities all around the country. Thanks to the President’s efforts, both the violent crime rate and murder rate in America have fallen for two consecutive years.