PEORIA, IL – Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) announced today that he has cosponsored the JUSTICE Act, legislation that offers real and sensible solutions to increase transparency, accountability, and performance in our nation’s law enforcement.
“I am proud to cosponsor the JUSTICE Act—legislation that will provide meaningful police reforms and provide law enforcement with important training resources. As a former state and federal prosecutor, I worked with hundreds of decent and fair-minded police officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, and federal law enforcement officers. Acts like those that led to the murder of George Floyd, however, must be addressed. The JUSTICE Act is a needed piece of legislation that will support law enforcement at the state and local level, increase public safety, provide more transparency, and provide a more equitable justice system for all Americans.”
BACKGROUND:
The JUSTICE Act, legislation introduced in the Senate by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and in the House by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), will improve law enforcement performance, transparency, and accountability.
Law Enforcement Reforms
- Requires reporting on Use of Force, No Knock Warrants, incentivizes chokehold bans, and increases penalties for false police reports.
- Provides data on the use of force that involves death, serious bodily injury, or the discharge of a firearm, by law enforcement and against law enforcement.
- Restricts the use of chokeholds, except in situations where deadly force is authorized.
Justice for Victims of Lynching
- Makes lynching a federal crime.
Incentivizes the Use of Body-Cameras
- Ensures that there are clear standards for privacy and data retention and that footage is made publicly available when appropriate to promote community confidence and transparency. These standards will also serve to increase accountability in law enforcement without sacrificing the privacy rights of third parties or the integrity of on-going investigations.
Alternatives to the Use of Force, De-Escalation, Behavioral Health Crises, and Duty to Intervene Training
- The DOJ will develop and provide training on de-escalation and implementation and fulfilment of duty to intervene policies.
Law Enforcement Agency Hiring and Education
- Helps to ensure law enforcement agency personnel are reflective of the communities they serve, and creates an African American History Museum education program for law enforcement.
