Following tremendous pressure by Americans following the killing of an African American, George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, US President, Donald Trump has signed an important executive order on police reforms on Tuesday.
The new executive order bans the use of chokeholds by police except the life of the officer in question is in danger.
While signing the order in a Rose Garden ceremony, Trump said;
“Americans “demand law and order.” “They may not say it, they may not be talking about it,” he said, “but that’s what they want.”
The order allows for the creation of a database to track police officers with multiple cases of misconduct and use Federal grants to help police departments meet higher certification standards on the use of force.
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The order will also allow police departments across the United States to involve social workers and mental health professionals on cases involving homelessness, mental illness and addiction.
Trump said the focus of the order was to break down barriers between communities and the police rather than the demonization of police institutions across the country.
He denounced calls to defund the police and said many police departments across the US were being underfunded and under supported.