老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas Demands Systemic Reforms, Statewide Standards Board after Killing of Lionel Morris by Conway Police

July 31, 2020 11:15 am

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LITTLE ROCK 鈥 Following the prosecutor鈥檚 decision not to file charges against Conway police officers for the killing of Lionel Morris, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas today reiterated its call for systemic reforms to policing, as well as an independent review of police use of deadly force and a statewide standards board to take complaints from the public about police misconduct.

鈥淟ionel Morris鈥檚 killing at the hands of Conway police officers is an unacceptable and tragic reminder of the deadly toll that police violence constantly takes on communities of color,鈥 said Holly Dickson, 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas interim executive director and legal director. 鈥淚t is long past time for state officials to establish an independent review process for the use of deadly force by Arkansas law enforcement agencies and empower a statewide standards board to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. The fact that these deadly incidents continue amid a nationwide outcry against police violence demonstrates the need for systemic reform and a reimagining of the role of police in our communities. If law enforcement agencies cannot keep people safe, then they should not exist in their current form. We stand in solidarity with Morris鈥檚 family and loved ones, and will continue to demand the transformational reform that鈥檚 needed to stop the bloodshed and save Black lives.鈥

A 2019 study found that police are now a leading cause of death among American men overall, with black men 2陆 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than white men. Policing remains among the rare professions without a statewide licensing board empowered to receive and act on complaints from the public.

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