"We must invest more energy and resources in police training and recruiting and community engagement," President Donald J. Trump

June 17, 2020 - On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump's White House released a Fact Sheet stating the President is taking unprecedented steps to strengthen relations between law enforcement and their communities.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.
  Source: Office of the White House