NEW ORLEANS — In the wake of the recent death of George Floyd, Amaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, lawmakers in New Orleans and across the state are looking to reform law and order, saying changes are needed to end the systemic problems that lead to police violence against people of color.
The chair of the New Orleans City Council's Criminal Justice Committee, Jason Williams, says the city has to come to terms with the dire and immediate need for change in a broken system and is proposing a citizen advisory committee to examine how taxpayer dollars are used in the police department and district attorney's office.
“These systemic reforms are necessary to decrease the opportunities for police violence against people of color,” said Williams during a press conference Tuesday.
Williams didn't specify when the committee would be formed or how many people would be on it but believes changes should be made by talking with people often left out of government decision-making.
“We rarely ask those communities who are most heavily policed for their input,” said Williams.
State senator Cleo Fields also wants change.
He says a piece of legislation called the “zero tolerance police brutality act” is set to be filed during the 2021 regular legislative session. The act would -- among other things --require police officers to undergo psychological analysis and reduce supplemental pay for departments that have multiple incidents of misconduct and increase the supplemental pay for those that don’t.
It would also provide for a "duty to intervene" when an officer witnesses a fellow officer acting out of line.
“We got to do something different and I have seen the protesters. I have heard the protesters and as lawmakers it’s time for us to do something about it,” said Fields.
We reached out to the DA’s office on the matter -- they said they believe Williams -- who has announced he will be running for DA-- should recuse himself from the council's criminal justice affairs, citing the ongoing federal investigation into Williams tax affairs. The NOPD and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
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