The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the loss of far too many Black lives to list, have left our nation anguished and outraged.

More than 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America, and Black people are three times more likely to be killed than White people. We can take steps and make reforms to combat police violence and systemic racism within law enforcement. Together, we can work to redefine public safety so that it recognizes the humanity and dignity of every person.

Mayors and other City Council officials are uniquely positioned to introduce common-sense limits on police use of force. That’s why the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance is calling on mayors to commit to the following actions:

    1. REVIEW your police use of force policies.
    2. ENGAGE your communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review.
    3. REPORT the findings of your review to your community and seek feedback.
    4. REFORM your community’s police use of force policies.

Everyone can support this effort—and we hope that individuals across the country will take action to urge their mayors to take these steps for change.

If you are a community member, you can take action by visiting The Leadership Conference Education Fund.

 

President Barack Obama greets Prince George's County (Md.) Sheriff Melvin High and other law enforcement and civic leaders in the audience after he delivers remarks during the 21st Century Policing event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, July 22, 2016.

President Barack Obama greets Prince George’s County Sheriff Melvin High and other law enforcement and civic leaders after he delivered remarks during the 21st Century Policing event on July 22, 2016.

MAYORS: TAKE THE PLEDGE

See the mayors who took the pledge below. We will release a report in 90 days listing all cities that have responded and their progress.

Workshops

We are committed to supporting mayors and their teams through a series of workshops, focused on providing educational tools and analysis on the spectrum of policing and public safety options, alternative public safety models, and community-centered review processes.

Each workshop is supplemented with curated resource materials, information on organizations that can provide additional support, and an opportunity to engage in deeper discussions with local and national experts. We host these sessions with our partners, including the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights and Cities United.

If you’re looking for additional ways to make change, head over to obama.org/anguish-and-action to learn more about police violence and antiracism, and ways to encourage reform, from organizations who have been working on these issues at the local and national level for years.

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