Today, Center for Policing Equity Co-founder and CEO Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff released the following statement about the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN.
“George Floyd’s death was tragic, brutal, and unnecessary. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and the Minneapolis community he called home. Our organization has been working with the Minneapolis Police Department for years to reduce burdensome and inequitable policing. During that period, Minneapolis Police Department has adopted policies that have become models across their state and the country. But leadership in police reform is not sufficient to prevent tragedies like the one too many of us saw unfold on a cell phone video Memorial Day. And the best in law enforcement still have a long way to go. That is because the problems of policing are not only problems of department policy and behavior, they are also the result of our collective failure to value the full value and dignity of Black life. And until the nation fully reckons with this foundational sin, we will be forced to pay again and again in Black lives and fractured communities.
We applaud today’s swift and decisive action by Chief Arradondo to fire the four officers involved in the incident as well as the powerful support of Mayor Frey. This is the kind of bold action that most reformers call for and too few departments have historically delivered. But, at CPE, we know too well that the search for accountability is often stalled, paused and countered by those who seek legal excuses in the face of moral failings. So, while we hope that the firings set forward a momentum that produces swift accountability and closure for Mr. Floyd’s family, we must prepare for the possibility that there will be setbacks along the way. We intend to continue our work in Minneapolis to support the police who attempt to do their job in alignment with the values of the communities they swore to protect. Our focus will remain on creating systems that can illuminate opportunities for community empowerment and reform, even as we mourn Mr. Floyd and all the souls our systems failed to protect.”