Commemorating A Tragic Anniversary

I had the privilege of attending the rally in Louisville over the weekend to commemorate the tragic death of Breonna Taylor. Hundreds gathered to seek justice for Breonna, George Floyd, Danny Ray Thomas and the countless other nameless, unarmed African Americans shot and killed by police officers. The issues are complex and longstanding, but I see five key areas that need to be addressed for our nation to see sustainable, equitable change in civil rights and due process:

1. A nation-wide end to no-knock warrants through legislation; currently 13 states authorize their use and 20 other states routinely authorize them;
2. The demilitarization of urban police forces and a return to the community policing model;
3. Sensible sentencing guidelines on non-violent crimes that do not have disparate impact on people of color;
4. Increased training of police officers on non-violent apprehension of the mentally ill; and
5. Abolishing qualified immunity for police officers.