We need lasting police reform in America

In the United States, police violence is a leading cause of death of young Black men: On average, unarmed Blacks are 3.5 times more likely to be shot by police than are unarmed whites.

This is not a new problem, but in 2020, the advent of bodycams and dashcams for police and video cameras in the hands of most citizens has provided damning and indisputable documentation of violent police actions toward Black Americans.

Civil justice movements have arisen in the past yet failed to produce lasting meaningful reform. Building trust between communities and police will require comprehensive change and a set of federal standards common to all law enforcement. The proposals are a blueprint for reforms that will yield greater transparency and accountability to improve the level of trust between citizens and the officers who are sworn to serve and protect them.

Civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump of Ben Crump Law and Antonio Romanucci of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC have developed a platform of reforms to create lasting police reform in America. This platform details specific steps to increase professionalism in policing, create greater accountability and transparency, and establish specifications for hiring and training practices to create national standards for law enforcement.

The time to act is NOW.

We need your support to show policymakers that an overwhelming number of people want meaningful change once and for all.

If you support these crucial police reforms, then add your name as a signatory today! Black America needs you more than ever!

Ben Crump & Tony Romanucci's Police Reform Model

Read entire whitepaper.

I. Standardize and professionalize policing

We recommend adoption of:

• National licensing standards to ensure consistency and a baseline of performance and measurements, as well as a process to decertify officers who are no longer fit for duty.
• Model policies and procedures to create a roadmap for law enforcement leaders.
• Development of a national police hiring exam that identifies suitable candidates on psychological, emotional, physical, and intellectual levels.
• Standard and consistent training to prepare and maintain officers fit for duty, keeping perishable job skills sharp with regular, interactive training modules.
• Enhanced mental health services for officers to prepare them for their duties and support them throughout their career

II. Enhance accountability and transparency

We recommend adoption of:

• Creation of a National Police Accountability Oversight Task Force to set consistent standards and expectations.
• A mandatory permanent and public national database of officer misconduct, to provide transparency and consistency.
• Uniform reporting standards by agencies to generate reliable data and understand trends in policing.
• Uniform use of body-worn cameras and policies to provide documentation of citizen encounters with officers.
• Intentionally turning off a bodycam should be a federal obstruction of justice violation with a rebuttable presumption of guilt for officers who turn off a bodycam in a case involving a police shooting.
• A standard, independent investigatory process for impartial inquiries of officer misconduct allegations.
• Removal of qualified immunity protections to create full accountability and increase community trust.

III. Reframe the role of police with aim to preserve life

We recommend adoption of:

• The demilitarization of policing to emphasize the sanctity and preservation of human life.
• A common curriculum in de-escalation.
• Continuous training in de-escalation techniques to provide an ongoing learning environment and to ensure that officers’ skills and responses are appropriate and up-to-date.
• Additional mental health supports to ensure that appropriate resources and a humane approach are used with those in crisis.