MRT: In Dallas Trump Sticks Up for ‘Decent Americans’; Paxton Wants to Probe Police-Custody Deaths; Austin Limits APD Budget; Dallas Delays DPD Boost
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BY: @MattMackowiak
FRIDAY – 06/12/20
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TOP NEWS
"In Dallas, Trump sticks up for 'decent Americans' being labeled as racists or bigots," The Houston Chronicle's Jeremy Wallace -- "President Donald Trump returned to George Floyd’s home state for the first time since he was killed, calling what happened in Minneapolis to Floyd a “disgrace” and pledging to push for reforms to policing nationwide while also slamming efforts to defund police departments.
Trump said at a meeting at the Gateway Church in Dallas that the “radical efforts to defund, dismantle and disband the police” are the wrong way to go and he’ll push in the opposite direction.
“We must invest more energy and resources in police training,” Trump said. “We have to respect our police and take care of our police. They’re protecting us, and if they’re allowed to do their job, they’ll do a great job.”
Trump said he knows there are some “bad apples” in any line of work, but “I can tell you there are not too many of them in the police.” Trump said he’s working on an executive order that would set standards for the use of force by police, including an emphasis on de-escalation tactics.
“We are going to make sure our police are well trained, perfectly trained, have the best equipment,” Trump said.
But in his first trip to Texas since the coronavirus outbreak, Trump’s message went beyond law enforcement. The White House billed the hourlong meeting as a discussion on how to help minority communities and improve opportunities for all Americans.
Trump insisted he’s been working on programs to help what he called the “forgotten men and women” of America since he took office. He pointed to criminal justice reforms he signed last year, increased funding for historically black colleges and universities under his administration and record low unemployment among black communities before COVID-19 hit the U.S.
“Americans are good and virtuous people,” Trump said. “We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice wherever they appear, but we’ll make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labeling tens of millions of decent Americans as racists or bigots.”
While the event focused largely on policing and community relations, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, Dallas Sheriff Marian Brown and Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall were not part of the discussion. All three are black. There were more than a dozen other speakers, many black, including religious leaders and business owners.
After the discussion, Trump attended a political fundraiser at a private residence that Republican National Committee officials said would raise $10 million for Trump Victory — a joint fundraising committee for Trump, the RNC and 22 other state party committees." Houston Chronicle
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
"Paxton says he will seek power to investigate police-custody deaths,"The Austin American-Statesman's Chuck Lindell -- "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Thursday that he will ask the Legislature to give him the power to investigate and prosecute police misconduct that results in a death.
Local prosecutors have “apparent and actual conflicts of interest” when investigating officers with whom they work as part of the criminal justice system, Paxton said in an opinion piece submitted to the American-Statesman.
“The reality is that when it comes to officer-involved deaths, local agencies need more accountability,” he wrote.
“We need our law enforcement agencies and those responsible for their oversight to be fully transparent when enforcement goes too far,” Paxton said. “We have an obligation to all Texans to ensure that justice is done.”
The ability to investigate officer-involved deaths and, if necessary, prosecute wrongdoing would be a “limited but vital” function for an office that operates statewide, he added." Austin American-Statesman
"Austin bans use of choke-holds, limits police budget," via AP-- "The Austin City Council and Mayor Steve Adler unanimously approved five items to reform the city’s police department following weeks of protests against police brutality.
The rare move banned the use of chokeholds and strongholds, shooting at moving vehicles and the use of tear gas and munitions at crowds expressing First Amendment rights. At the initiative of Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza, a goal of zero racial disparity in traffic stops and use-of-force by officers was also set.
The city’s judicial committee will be converted into a public safety committee, at the leadership of council member Jimmy Flannigan, who will chair the committee.
The City Council also directed that the budget allocated to the police department not include any new sworn police officers, eliminate sworn positions that the police department can’t reasonably fill in FY 2020-2021 and reallocate those funds for other public health and safety resources and initiatives.
Some council members showed support for reductions to the police department budget of up to $100 million, though an exact number has not yet been formalized.
This came after more than 300 people signed up to comment for a second time during Thursday’s scheduled City Council meeting. One of them was Brenda Ramos, who testified in tears about her son’s death. An Austin police officer shot Michael Ramos, a black and Hispanic man, as he was driving away from the officer.
Ramos’ name has been repeatedly echoed by protesters in parallel to that of George Floyd, a black man who died in custody after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
Many of the speakers once again called for the resignation of Police Chief Brian Manley, while some now additionally called for Adler’s." AP
"Dallas City Council delays approval of $6.5 million increase to DPD budget after calls to defund police,"The Dallas Morning News' Hayat Norimine -- "The Dallas City Council on Wednesday delayed approving a $6.5 million budget increase for the Dallas Police Department after calls to rethink what it spends on public safety.
In a 13-2 vote, the council agreed to hold off on having the city manager change the department’s current budget, which was approved in September, based on unexpected costs. The police department is currently over budget by $6.5 million, largely due to efforts to hire and retain more officers.
Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Reich said DPD was able to hire 97 more officers this year than projected and incurred overtime costs during the October tornado. She said delaying the vote until August wouldn’t impact any paychecks.
West Dallas Council member Omar Narvaez, who proposed the delay, said another two months would allow the city manager to find “more creative ways to balance this budget."
Other department budget changes besides DPD were approved. That included reduced budgets for the Library, Park and Recreation, and Transportation departments." Dallas Morning News
"Texas police deployed less-lethal ammunition to control protests. Now policymakers want to ban the weapons,"The Dallas Morning News' Nic Garcia -- "A growing number of people suffering serious injuries in Dallas, Austin and across the nation from plastic, rubber and wooden bullets are raising new questions about how and when police officers use these weapons.
The conversation is happening against a backdrop of civil unrest and demonstrations resulting from sustained police brutality against black people.
Dallas police — and other local law enforcement agencies that were also on patrol downtown — are investigating two incidents that happened during the first weekend of protests. Meanwhile, Austin’s police chief on June 4 banned the use of these weapons for crowd control purposes after a 20-year-old black man, a Latino teenager and a pregnant woman were critically injured.
And now, Dallas and state policymakers are calling for the prohibition of these weapons.
Dallas Council member Adam Bazaldua, who represents East and South Dallas, on Monday called on the police chief to prohibit any use of force in protests — including less-lethal ammunition — “except in most extreme circumstances.”
“When I say that I don’t want these used, it’s because we’ve seen that they’ve been used inappropriately,” Bazaldua said.
The topic is also expected to be part of the next legislative session in Austin.
“We have people in critical condition at the hospital,” said state Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood Democrat. "Even if these aren’t as life-ending as often, they’re certainly life-altering. And I’m not seeing these weapons used with the judiciousness and respect for life that a weapon of the kind requires.”
Texas state law does not specifically regulate less-lethal ammunition. However, according to state policy experts, the use of these weapons is generally governed by several statutes that spell out rules around use of force. What’s more, big-city police departments typically have policies that dictate training, use and reporting requirements around weapons and contact with civilians, experts said.
Dallas Police general orders, a manual that outlines how officers are supposed to conduct themselves, detail how officers should use the “Stinger” Less Lethal Launching system. The stinger is a gun that fires plastic ammunition with a top made of a dense foam material. Weapons experts said not to confuse the foam used for these types of bullets with a kitchen sponge or Nerf toy gun.
Brandon Saenz, a 26-year-old black man, also lost seven teeth and fractured the left side of his face, according to his lawyer Daryl Washington. Saenz was part of a Saturday protest against police brutality in downtown Dallas.
Among the guidelines: Officers are required to have eight hours of training per year and to immediately report when they use them, and they are not to aim at a person’s head. After the launcher is fired, officers are supposed to notify a supervisor.
Dallas police are investigating whether officers broke policy during incidents from the first wave of protests on May 30. Brandon Saenz, 26, lost his left eye during an afternoon protest near the city’s main library. And Vincent Doyle, 21, said he was shot by a projectile later that night near Bank of America Plaza downtown.
Doyle’s injuries, which have not been previously reported, include deep cuts on his left cheek and blurred vision. Doyle said he was in downtown Dallas to photograph the protests. He was filming a cadre of police officers marching through downtown when he said he saw a laser pointed his way. He yelled an expletive, then “don’t shoot!”
A boom followed.
“I’m still processing,” he said last week while recovering at the hospital. “I didn’t think they were going to do anything.”
A police spokesman said in at least one case, the family notified the department of the shooting. However, when The Dallas Morning News attempted to clarify further, he declined additional comment since both cases are under investigation." Dallas Morning News
"Hidalgo unveils COVID-19 'threat-level' system, says Harris County at second-highest risk,"The Houston Chronicle's Zach Despart -- "A large, ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 places the Houston area on the second-highest of four public threat levels unveiled by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday.
If troubling trends continue, including an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, the county health department again would recommend residents stay at home except for essential errands, such as buying groceries and medicine, she said.
Without criticizing Gov. Greg Abbott directly, she said the reopening of businesses he permitted to begin May 1 happened too quickly, leaving the Houston area at risk of an outbreak hospitals are unable to handle.
“I want the reopening to be successful. I want the economy to be resilient,” Hidalgo said. “But I am growing increasingly concerned that we may be at the precipice of a disaster.”
The county judge said she wanted to create an easy-to-understand chart for the public to replace a series of lengthy advisories and orders her administration has issued to date.
The county currently is at Level 2 of the color-coded chart produced by the county health department, with Level 1 being the most severe.
Level 2 is defined by ongoing transmission of the virus, with testing and contact tracing likely to meet demand. It states that residents should avoid unnecessary contact with others, avoid crowds and visit only businesses that are following public health guidelines." Houston Chronicle
TEXANS IN DC
"GOP Sen. Cornyn supports use-of-force registry, grants for training as Congress debates police reforms,"The Houston Chronicle's Benjamin Wermund — "U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday that a national registry documentinguse of force by police and grants to help small departments offer better training are among the reforms he would support as a member of the Senate group crafting legislation in response to the George Floyd killing.
He also called for the Senate to pass the anti-lynching bill that Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked this month, and he again called for the creation of a commission to conduct a “top-to-bottom review of our criminal justice system.”
“I think the question is, do you use a carrot or do you use a stick,” Cornyn said. “And I think a lot of the police are pretty suspicious of being punished for doing a very difficult job, and I think the right approach is to find some way to incentivize them.”
The Texan is a member of a group of Senate Republicans led by Tim Scott of South Carolina working on policing reforms.
The effort comes as Democrats push sweeping legislation that would ban chokeholds and no-knock search warrants in drug cases, bolster the Justice Department’s authority to crack down on misconduct and chip away at some of officers’ legal protections when they are sued in civil court, among other things.
George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, on Wednesday testified before the House committee considering those changes, saying, “It is on you to make sure his death is not in vain.” George Floyd, a Houstonian, was killed last month by police in Minneapolis.
Republicans have voiced opposition to some of the major pieces of that legislation, including reforms to qualified immunity, which protects police from being sued.
While the Democratic bill calls for a registry of police misconduct, Cornyn supports mandating the reporting to an existing FBI registry of uses of force that cause death or serious injury.
“There are things we could do in terms of funding to provide funding for police training, whether it’s de-escalation training, incentivize mental health checks,” said Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general and state Supreme Court justice. “You can imagine just with the things law enforcement sees on a day-to-day basis and the challenges they are presented that I think there does need to be some additional help there because you can become jaded and desensitized.”
Cornyn said small police departments don’t have the resources to offer the training that many big-city departments have.
“I think providing best practices and providing financial support for training would be two of the things Congress can do that would be the most productive at this point,” he said.
He also renewed calls for a criminal justice commission that would have been created by legislation he co-sponsored that previously passed the Senate unanimously.
“This should not just be a one-time episode,” he said. “This ought to be a continuing basis, and we haven’t done this top-to-bottom review of our criminal justice system at the national level since 1965.”" Houston Chronicle
"Sen. Cornyn: Taking down Confederate monuments is like tearing pages out of history books," The Houston Chronicle's Benjamin Wermund — "U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday compared taking down Confederate statues and renaming military bases to tearing pages out of history books.
"I don’t think we can go back and erase our history by removing statues," Cornyn said. "What happens next? Then somebody says you can’t teach about the Civil War or slavery in your textbooks."
Cornyn’s comments came when he was asked whether he supported renaming military bases, including Fort Hood in Texas, that are named after Confederates, or removing statues built to honor them.
The killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis has reignited calls to remove Confederate statues and monuments, many of which were built by white supremacists in the early and mid-1900s as a response to black civil rights efforts.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected calls to rename military bases, saying on Twitter: “These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom.”" Houston Chronicle
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
"Donald Trump cautions against “falsely labeling” racists while in Dallas to talk about George Floyd,"The Texas Tribune's Patrick Svitek -- "President Donald Trump, speaking Thursday in Texas, began to describe his administration's policy response to some of the issues raised by the massive George Floyd protests while downplaying police officers who abuse their power as "bad apples" and cautioning against "falsely labeling" many Americans as racist.
Trump made the remarks in Dallas during a roundtable discussion on policing ahead of a fundraiser for his reelection effort that was expected to rake in over $10 million. At the roundtable, Trump said he was "announcing four steps to build safety and opportunity and dignity" after the death of Floyd, the black Minnesota man who died late last month after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
While light on details, Trump said his plan centered on economic development in black and Latino communities — going "above" the federal Opportunity Zones program — and investing "substantial sums" in medical institutions that serve communities of color. He added he was finalizing an executive order that would encourage police departments nationwide "to meet the most current professional standards for use of force, including tactics for deescalation."
Trump largely expressed deference to police, arguing that there are "bad apples" but "not too many of them," and stuck to a law-and-order focus, adjusting a previous statement to say America is "dominating the streets with compassion."" Texas Tribune
REMAINDERS
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'MACK ON POLITICS' PODCAST
LATEST "MACK ON POLITICS" PODCAST: The George Floyd killing and resulting protests are the subject of the 191st episode.
Our guest is social commentator and activist Toure, who hosts two podcasts, “The Toure Show” and “Democracyish”.
In this conversation we take stock of this national moment, examine real solutions to police brutality, consider whether police union contracts are part of the problem, and probe the concepts of systemic racism and white privilege. Finally, we discuss how the protests will end.
Available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and on the web at http://www.MackOnPoliticsPodcast.com.
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