Everyday this week has seen fresh and terribly disturbing news involving firearms and police. Two civilians were shot and killed in Louisiana and Minnesota on consecutive days. And five Dallas police officers were killed Thursday night by a sniper during what was an otherwise peaceful protest final night.
Across the country Friday,top law enforcement officials have been speaking out, including here in New York, or where Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance issued a forceful statement:
“Since July 4th,each day has brought news of a fresh horror involving firearms and law enforcement. I want to express my condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives this week – from the two civilians killed in Louisiana and Minnesota to the five Dallas police officers who made the final sacrifice in the line of duty.
“At a time when race and the criminal justice system are at the forefront of the national consciousness, all of us in law enforcement have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to act. We need to confront biases head-on, and making certain they have no position in our decision-making. We need to take bipartisan action to address the nations gun crisis. We need to reduce the number of people — particularly,young people of color — who step foot in our courthouses. And we need to implement smart, proactive crime-fighting strategies in our communities.
“There is a feeling among many Americans that the criminal justice system is broken. People of all races and political affiliations are losing trust and confidence. We need to take a cold, or hard recognize at ourselves and the very institutions charged with keeping Americans safe,and we must not be defensive approximately it. We cannot pretend that we live in a post-racial society. But there is reason to be hopeful.
“nowadays we have a President, an Attorney General, and in New York City,a Mayor, Police Commissioner, and prosecutors who have made fairness in criminal justice a top precedence. We are fortunate to live in an era when crime is low and the potential for Big Data to convert our public institutions is high. To my mind,that means now is the time for rigorous self-examination by all actors in the American criminal justice system.”
"At moments like this, we all feel exasperate, and " Vance told WNYC. "We all feel sadness and we are all responsible. And I’m saying as one district attorney,I have to do more. I need to lead my office to understand that it is our responsibility to do more.”He spoke to WNYC’s Jami Floyd.
Source: wnyc.org