Goodlatte, Nadler Welcome New Members to the Bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group

Washington, D.C. --  House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) today welcomed two new members to the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group: Representatives John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Val Demings (D-Fla.). The bipartisan working group met today to discuss personal perspectives on policing with two law enforcement officers, Lt. Brett Parson of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant of Atlanta’s Police Department. The group focused its discussion on officers’ roles in answering calls for service and the evolution of technology, including the use of body-worn cameras. Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Nadler issued the following statements on the working group. Chairman Goodlatte: “I am pleased to welcome Representatives Rutherford and Demings to the Policing Strategies Working Group. This bipartisan group is comprised of members that represent urban, suburban, and rural areas. Each member has a different background and experience and has brought varying perspectives to the table, benefiting the group as a whole. “For nearly two years, the Policing Strategies Working Group has met with law enforcement officers and community leaders across the United States to hear their ideas to improve the relationship between police officers and the communities they serve. We’ve traveled across the United States to examine police accountability, attacks on law enforcement officers, and public safety concerns related to these issues. I look forward to working with this group in the year ahead and continuing our dialogue on these important matters.” Ranking Member Nadler: “The Policing Strategies Working Group represents the kind of bipartisan cooperation needed to enact meaningful police reform legislation.  I believe that bipartisan cooperation is the best path for the enactment of meaningful police reform legislation, and the addition of Representatives Demings and Rutherford to our group should provide a valuable perspective given their past law enforcement experience.  Working to foster reforms aimed at helping local jurisdictions meet their constitutional obligation of fair and unbiased policing is the only way to restore community confidence and protect officer safety.  I look forward to continue working together to develop and ultimately bring legislation to the floor that addresses these matters." Background: The Policing Strategies Working Group was established in July 2016 and examines police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. The bipartisan working group has held a series of roundtables – including visits to Detroit, Atlanta, and Houston – to discuss the issues fueling excessive force used by law enforcement and attacks against police officers. Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Nadler lead the working group. Members of the working group are: Representatives Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Dave Reichert (R-Wash.), Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), Will Hurd (R-Texas), John Rutherford (R-Fla.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), and Val Demings (D-Fla.).

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