Largest U.S. police group appears to counter Sen. Tim Scott's argument that Democrats sought to defund police in reform negotiations
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has suggested that his police reform talks with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) fell apart primarily because Democrats sought to defund the police by making departments ineligible for funding if they failed to meet certain criteria.
But a pair of prominent police organizations, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police, appeared to push back against Scott's argument in a statement on Tuesday, though the senator wasn't mentioned by name. "Despite some media reports, at no point did any legislative draft propose 'defunding the police,'" the statement reads. "In fact, the legislation specifically provided additional funding to assist law enforcement agencies in training, agency accreditation, and data collection initiatives."
Those provision would have helped strengthen law enforcement improve community police engagement "without compromising management and officers' rights, authorities, and legal protections," the statement continues.
Pretty dang strong statement from police groups taking issue with @SenatorTimScott characterization of conditioning federal grants on reforms as "defund the police."
"In fact, the legislation specifically provided additional funding to assist law enforcement agencies..." https://t.co/hM98YLMs1A— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) September 28, 2021
Police unions take on @SenatorTimScott claim that police reform talks collapsed because Dems wanted to defund police -->
"... at no point did any legislative draft propose “defunding the police.” In fact, the legislation specifically provided additional funding..." https://t.co/KBGe4DxUg2— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) September 28, 2021
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