Police Chiefs split over Trump’s latest executive orders on law enforcement

Amber Randall, DCNF

Newly signed presidential executive orders on law enforcement don’t offer the best means to protect public safety, a group of police chiefs said.

The Trump administration released three executive orders Thursday, Feb. 9, aimed at protecting law enforcement officers, as well as cracking down on crime. One executive order instructs the Department of Justice to create a task force focused on “reducing violent crime in America.”

The Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration released a report pointing out possible flaws in President Donald Trump’s executive orders, reports The New York Times.

“We need not use arrest, conviction and prison as the default for every broken law. For many nonviolent and first-time offenders, prison is not only unnecessary from a public safety standpoint, it also endangers our communities,” two former police chiefs wrote in the report.

Many police chiefs and prosecutors argue that more resources need to be devoted to mental health treatment, drug rehabilitation and creating other punishments for law offenders besides jail and prosecution.

Some law enforcement organizations also want to teach cops proper use-of-force techniques.

The organization maintained that “failing to direct these resources toward our most immediate and dangerous threats risks wasting taxpayer dollars.”

“It’s a shame what’s been happening to our great, truly great law enforcement officers. That’s going to stop as of today,” Trump said at the time.

Other law enforcement officials said they welcomed the executive orders because they protect police officers.

“I can promise that if we have a president who is speaking about protecting the lives of police officers, that the membership is going to be supportive of him,” said Chuck Canterbury, the Fraternal Order of Police president.

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