Two weeks after the death of George Floyd, proposals for police reform are increasing in the United States. It's urgent. Protesters were still on the streets on Tuesday, June 9: steps from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, downtown Los Angeles, to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. They demand real sanctions for the perpetrators of violence, often covered by immunity measures, and a reduction in police budgets.
With exceptional speed, the elected officials announced measures supposed to limit police violence throughout the country, a sign of the pressure to which they are subjected. According to a poll published by CNN on Monday, 67% of Americans consider racism to be a major problem, down from 49% in 2015. Eight in ten also believe that the peaceful protests that followed the murder of George Floyd are "Justified".
Monday, June 8, elected Democrats presented to Congress a bill that provides for the creation of a national register identifying the police perpetrators of disproportionate violence, to prohibit the practice of the choke key, which cost the life of George Floyd and facilitate legal proceedings in the event of smudges. The victim's brother, Philonise Floyd, was to testify before the judicial affairs committee on Wednesday. The Republicans have assured that they are preparing proposals themselves.
"Modest reparation"
The urgency of the reform spread across the country. Twelve cities and sixteen states have announced projects or have taken action. While the slogan " Defund the Police "(" Cutting police credits ") has taken a flash in the demonstrations of Black Lives Matter, several cities have announced measures, which, if they are far from the scale desired by activists, show that police unions have reason to be concerned.
Less than one hundred and fifty days before the presidential election, the idea of "cutting the supply" or "eliminating" the police, as envisaged by the city of Minneapolis, is the delight of supporters of Donald Trump, who presents as the defender of "law and order". They hope to embarrass Democratic candidate Joe Biden, hostile to "Defund the Police Who is criticized both by his left wing and the police unions. But the majority of activists are more nuanced. Above all, they insist on a change of priorities: funding social housing and public schools rather than prioritizing policing.
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