NAACP Commends President Biden for Police Reform Executive Order

The NAACP commends efforts by the Biden Administration in this week's Executive Order on police reform. The timing of this announcement with the anniversary of George Floyd's murder is a reminder that policing in America is uneven when it intersects with Black America. The Executive Order is a good step forward.

Policies outlined by the Biden Administration are needed to ensure alignment on use-of-force policies across the country and to tighten restrictions on practices like chokeholds and the use of no-knock warrants that have resulted in the death of Black Americans.

Although these policies are needed, the NAACP remains focused on ensuring that policing is centered on public safety. To that end, we call upon the U.S. Senate to address core elements that continue needing reform: an end to qualified immunity, resources for implicit bias training, and community-based alternatives that aid in mental health crisis response.

All too often, Black Americans have been most impacted by the misalignment of policies that create incentives for police misconduct. As midterm elections approach, the NAACP and its two million members will continue to monitor policing within our communities to ensure that federal, state, and local elected officials respond to the public safety needs of Black Americans.