Policing Strategies Working Group Visits Atlanta

Washington, D.C. – Members of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group traveled to Atlanta, Georgia on November 17-18, 2016 to meet with local community leaders and law enforcement to discuss police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. Members who traveled to Atlanta are House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Representative David Reichert (R-Wa.), and Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

Ranking Member Conyers and Chairman Goodlatte made the following statement on the trip to Atlanta: “Members of the Policing Strategies Working Group had a productive trip to Atlanta. We heard from local law enforcement and community leaders on how they’ve addressed the challenges of the use of excessive force by police and attacks on police, as well as what issues remain. Tragically during our time in Atlanta, Deputy Commander Pat Carothers of the U.S. Marshals Service was killed in the line of duty while serving a warrant to a fugitive in Georgia. We are saddened by this loss of life in the law enforcement community and stand shoulder to shoulder with them. We are reminded that law enforcement officers face danger every day while on duty and remain committed to finding solutions to these and other issues.”

Congressman Doug Collins, who helped coordinate the visit, said the following: “As a lifelong Georgian, I was proud to have the Policing Strategies Working Group visit Atlanta to learn some of the best practices our city and state have in place. Over the course of the trip, we had the privilege of hearing from law enforcement and community leaders and gathered information that will drive forward the conversation on policing and communities.”

Below are five pictures from the trip.

On Thursday, November 17, Emory University School of Law hosted a reception for Members of Congress, local law enforcement, and community leaders.

Congressional delegation with reception guests.

On Friday, November 18, the Members of Congress toured the United States Penitentiary (USP), Atlanta – a medium security federal prison housing over 2,200 inmates. During the tour, Warden Darlene Drew explained USP Atlanta’s reentry services for federal inmates, including those with serious mental illness.

Congressional delegation with Bureau of Prisons staff outside of USP Atlanta.

Following the prison tour, the Members participated in a law enforcement simulator at Georgia State University College of Law. During the simulator, members faced tense situations and had to determine whether or not to use force. 

Afterwards, the Members held a private roundtable with Atlanta Police Chief George Turner, Deputy Chief of Police Joseph Spillane, U.S. Attorney John Horn, Apostle Roderick Hughey of The Community Church of Gainesville, Georgia State University College of Law Associate Professor Nirej Sekhon, and Morehouse College Student Body President Johnathan Hill. Members discussed the challenges law enforcement faces and mistrust among the law enforcement and African-American community.

Group photo before the start of the roundtable.

Johnathan Hill addresses the roundtable.

Following the roundtable, the members held a press conference. Watch the press conference on the Majority’s Facebook page.

Rep. Collins gives remarks to the press.

Background on the Working Group: In July 2016, Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers announced the establishment of a working group to examine police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. The bipartisan working group is in the process of holding a series of roundtables to candidly discuss the issues fueling excessive force used by law enforcement and attacks against police officers. Read Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers’ op-ed on the working group in The Hill here.

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Members of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group held a meeting with local community leaders and law enforcement in Atlanta, GA

Police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns. Members of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group held a meeting with local community leaders and law enforcement in Atlanta, GA to discuss this and more.

Members of Congress

·         House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)

·         Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.)

·         Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.)

·         Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)

·         Representative David Reichert (R-Wa.)

·         Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)

Roundtable Participants

·         George Turner, Chief of Police, Atlanta Police Department

·         John Horn, United States Attorney, Northern District of Georgia

·         Joseph P. Spillane, Chief of Police, Georgia State University

·         Roderick Hughey, Sr., Pastor, Voices of Faith North

·         Nirej Sekhon, Associate Professor of Law, Georgia State University – College of Law

·         Johnathan Hill, Student Body President, Morehouse University

Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: Media Advisory: Policing Strategies Working Group to Visit Atlanta & Hold Press Conference http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2016/11/media-advisory-policing-strategies.html#ixzz4QUbRcfxo
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Media Advisory: Policing Strategies Working Group to Visit Atlanta & Hold Press Conference

Washington, D.C. – Several members of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to meet with local community leaders and law enforcement to discuss police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. Members of the working group plan to hold a press conference following their private roundtable with community leaders on Friday, November 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Details can be found below.

WHO:
Members of Congress

·         House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)

·         Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.)

·         Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.)

·         Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)

·         Representative David Reichert (R-Wa.)

·         Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)

Roundtable Participants

·         George Turner, Chief of Police, Atlanta Police Department

·         John Horn, United States Attorney, Northern District of Georgia

·         Joseph P. Spillane, Chief of Police, Georgia State University

·         Roderick Hughey, Sr., Pastor, Voices of Faith North

·         Nirej Sekhon, Associate Professor of Law, Georgia State University – College of Law

·         Johnathan Hill, Student Body President, Morehouse University

WHAT:  Press conference following the conclusion of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group roundtable with community leaders. 

WHEN:  Friday, November 18, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Media with video equipment can begin setup at 1:30 p.m. The press conference will also be streamed live on the House Judiciary Committee Majority’s Facebook page.

WHERE:       Georgia State University – College of Law

                        85 Park Place NE

Room 242

                        Atlanta, GA 30303

RSVP:  Members of the media who wish to attend must RSVP with Jessica Collins atJessica.Collins@mail.house.gov and Shadawn Reddick-Smith at Shadawn.Reddick-Smith@mail.house.gov by Thursday, November 17.

Background on the Working Group: In July 2016, Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers announced the establishment of a working group to examine police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. The bipartisan working group is in the process of holding a series of roundtables to candidly discuss the issues fueling excessive force used by law enforcement and attacks against police officers. Read Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers’ op-ed on the working group, below.

Examining police-community issues with bipartisan working group

By John Conyers, Jr. and Bob Goodlatte

One does not need a public opinion poll to know that fear and frustration is rampant in many communities across our Nation. Our newsfeeds and TV screens are filled with reports of deadly attacks on police officers and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers. These tragic events have strained race relations and heightened tensions as well as further added to feelings of mistrust between communities and law enforcement. When African-American men and women are pulled over for routine traffic stops, many fear that officers will cause undue harm. And as the men and women in blue head out on their daily patrols, many worry that it may be their last.

It seems as though there are two factions forming: one pro-police and one pro-racial justice. As Members of Congress, we strongly reject this notion of division. The senseless deaths that have occurred over the last several weeks are unconscionable. These incidents must not become the new normal for our communities. 

Just days before his murder, Montrell Jackson, an African-American  police officer, summed up these issues  in a Facebook post: “In uniform I get nasty hateful looks and out of uniform some consider me a threat…These are trying times.” He further called on his fellow citizens: “Please don’t let hate infect your heart.”

As a Nation, we must heed Officer Jackson’s call and come together to address these tensions so that we can overcome all unjustified acts of violence. Every layer of civil society – neighbors, community leaders, churches, and state and local governments – must confront this matter of vital national importance.

As Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, we recently established a bipartisan working group to examine the use of force by law enforcement, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. We are not naïve enough to believe that we can fix this problem by ourselves. However, we can and must devote urgent Congressional attention to these serious problems that must be addressed, and determine what can be done at the federal level to set an appropriate tone. In addition, we need to work with state and local communities to help find the tools they need to do the hard work of improving the relationships between their law enforcement agencies and residents. 

Before Congress adjourned, we and the 10 other members of the working group met for the first time to candidly discuss the issues fueling the current state of distrust between some of the public and law enforcement. Each of us comes from different walks of life and different parts of the country and can learn from one another and our constituents. We plan to hold more meetings when we return to Washington, D.C. in September, but in the meantime, we intend to take action to learn more about the problem and potential solutions from the individuals, law enforcement agencies, and community leaders in our state and local communities.

We plan to listen and talk with a variety of people in our districts who are impacted by this problem: law enforcement, religious and other community leaders, area youth, and mothers and fathers who have lost children to violent crime. We want to hear about people’s own experiences so that we can understand the fears and frustrations of those impacted most by the ongoing tension.

The issues driving the wedge between law enforcement and the public will not be solved overnight and they won’t be solved by the federal government alone. Much of the hard work needs to happen in local communities, but we in Congress acknowledge the gravity of this problem and are committed to finding solutions. There is room for compassion for all the victims of violence on our streets.  We must work together as fellow Americans on this issue so that we live up to our nation’s values of liberty and justice for all. 

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MEDIA ADVISORY: POLICING STRATEGIES WORKING GROUP TO VISIT DETROIT & HOLD FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

Washington, D.C. – Several members of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan to meet with local community leaders and law enforcement to discuss police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. Members of the working group plan to hold their first photo spray and press conference following their private roundtable with community leaders on Tuesday, August 30, 2016  beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. Details can be found below.

WHO:              House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)

                        Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.)

                        Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.)

                        Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)

                        Representative David Reichert (R-Wa.)

  Representative Cedric Richmond (D-La.)

  Representative Robin Kelly (D-Ill.)

Representative Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)

WHAT:          Photo spray immediately following the conclusion of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group roundtable with community leaders. A press conference will begin shortly after the photo spray.

WHEN:          Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Photo spray begins at 12:00 p.m. and press conference begins at 12:15 p.m. Media with video equipment can begin setup at noon during the photo spray.

WHERE:       Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse

231 West Lafayette Boulevard

Room 115

Detroit, MI 48226

RSVP:            Members of the media who wish to attend must RSVP with Jessica Collins at Jessica.Collins@mail.house.gov and Shadawn Reddick-Smith at Shadawn.Reddick-Smith@mail.house.gov by Friday, August 26, 2016. Members of the media who do not RSVP will not be permitted to enter the courthouse and bring media equipment.

Background on the Working Group: In July 2016, Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers announced the establishment of a working group to examine police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. The bipartisan working group is in the process of holding a series of roundtables to candidly discuss the issues fueling excessive force used by law enforcement and attacks against police officers. Read Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers’ op-ed on the working group in The Hill here.

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