Newly sworn in Attorney General Loretta Lynch launched her national “Community Policing Tour” in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday.
According to the Department of Justice, the initiative aims to “highlight collaborative programs and innovative policing strategies designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect.”
The tour’s kick-off follows the release of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force report on Monday, May 18.
The DOJ announced $163 million in grant opportunities to advance the policing report’s key recommendations, including:
- Building trust “on both sides of the police/citizen divide”
- Developing new, “less than lethal” technology and improving the use of body cameras
- Nurturing relationships between local law enforcement and neighborhood residents to "co-produce" public safety
- Enhancing officer training and creating a “national postgraduate institute of policing” for senior law enforcement officials with a standardized curriculum prepared in partnership with the federal government
- Promoting efforts for "officer wellness and safety," such as gathering data not only on officer deaths but also on injuries and “near misses”
President Obama discussed implementing a new model of "community policing" in Camden, New Jersey on Monday, where he announced one major objective:
Demilitarizing police.
He argued that military-style gear makes state and local officers look like an "occupying force" as opposed to a force to "protect and serve," thereby undermining efforts to build trust between police and their communities.
"We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like there's an occupying force as opposed to a force that's part of the community that's protecting them and serving them," Obama said.
"It can alienate and intimidate local residents and send the wrong message," he argued.
“So we’re going to prohibit some equipment made for the battlefield that is not appropriate for local police departments,” the President announced.
His measures would bar the purchase of armored vehicles, bayonets, grenade launchers, and large-caliber firearms.
“We’re doing these things because we’re listening to what law enforcement is telling us,” Obama added.
"The overwhelming majority of police officers are good and honest and fair," he said. "They care deeply about their communities. They put their lives on the line every day to keep them safe. Their loved ones wait and worry until they come through the door at the end of their shift.
"So we should do everything in our power to make sure that they are safe, and help them do the job the best they can."
Additional cities on the Attorney General's tour will be announced at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati at 2 p.m. EDT.