Bishop Supports Police Reform

Press Release

Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act:

"I have continually been moved by the voices of the people who have peacefully protested in the midst of a deadly pandemic, raising their voices for change after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others from police brutality. I remain a strong supporter of law enforcement, but we must make changes to improve the profession and accountability of officers. Of course, making our justice system equal will require action from all levels of government, but the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is a powerful model. I hope it will lead the way for a better and fairer America."

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act will:

Increase police accountability in courts
Require the collection and storage of data concerning police misconduct and use-of-force
Work to end racial and religious profiling
Change the standard for use-of-force from reasonable to necessary
Ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level
Require body cameras for federal officers and dashboard cameras for federal police vehicles
Ban sexual contact between federal officers and people under arrest, in detention, or in custody
Make it a federal crime to violate hate crime laws

Source