Dem Rep. Demings Calls for ‘Serious Real Change’ Within Police Departments — ‘Ban Neck Restraints’

Representative Val Demings (D-FL) on Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” said it was time for “serious real change” within police departments.

Demmings’ remarks come in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis while in police custody.

As part of the change, Demings, a former chief of the Orlando Police Department, called for a total ban of neck restraints. She noted some of the police departments across the United States have already banned the neck restraints but said it is time for them to be completely done away with.

“What we need first is leadership,” Demings outlined. “We need the president to address this issue to acknowledge that systemic racism is now and has been a problem in America since its inception. We need the top cop, Attorney General Barr — yeah, he can focus on the crimes that are being committed because we are a nation of laws, but let’s also assure America that George Floyd should not have lost his life in this way and let’s start trying to effect serious real change one police department at a time.”

She continued, “I think the federal government … we do have a direct obligation to look at policies, practices, procedures, training, hiring standards, use of force policies, and come up with some of the best practices to keep people alive. One thing we can do right now, Reverend Al, let’s totally ban neck restraints. We know that many police departments have disbanded them, but let’s totally ban neck restraints. We can do that today. And then [if] officers … decide that they don’t want to follow the policies or the rules, then fire them.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent