Frankfort, Ky. (June 24, 2020) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron today joined a 17-state coalition in sending a letter to President Trump, Attorney General Barr, and Congressional leadership condemning the “Defund the Police” movement and supporting the law-enforcement community in order to strengthen trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
“Radical rhetoric and calls to ‘defund the police’ threaten public safety and only serve to divide us further, rather than bringing us together,” said Attorney General Cameron. “Strong, empowered communities and safe policing are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they must go hand-in-hand in order for the Commonwealth to thrive.”
In the letter, the coalition writes, “the American people are yearning for safety, stability, and security during these difficult times. Our nation is being torn between those who respect the rule of law and those who rationalize the lawless, tragic burning of our communities while rallying behind the ‘defund the police’ movement. We must defeat the notion that defunding the police will make America safer and focus on what we can do to build trust between law enforcement and our communities.”
“Our goal should be to empower law enforcement to legally and ethically fulfill their duties, not restrict their ability to protect us all,” the letter continues. “We need to give law enforcement the tools and support they need to help people, not take them away.”
Attorney General Cameron is joined by Attorneys General from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia in signing the letter, which can be viewed here.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Cameron joined President Trump, Attorney General Barr, and law enforcement stakeholders at the White House for a roundtable discussion on building a stronger relationship between law enforcement and Black communities. Attorney General Cameron’s statement following the roundtable can be viewed here.