For Immediate Release
April 21, 2021
Contact: media@colorofchange.org
COLOR OF CHANGE: DOJ PROBE INTO MINNEAPOLIS PD IS A SMALL STEP TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD
NEW YORK—Scott Roberts, Senior Director of Criminal Justice Campaigns at Color Of Change, issued the following statement in response to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s announcement that the Department of Justice will investigate policing practices in Minneapolis.
“Yesterday, the world watched as Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin’s callous and dehumanizing actions are all too common in policing. As we have said, the verdict was about accountability for one former police officer, not justice. Justice requires lasting change to prevent this from ever happening again. The Minneapolis Police Department has a long, sordid history of anti-Black violence and, at its core, remains a violent institution that does not honor the sanctity of Black lives. In every way, this is antithetical to the notion of public safety and fostering safety in our communities.
“We are relieved that the Department of Justice has agreed to our demand to investigate the Minneapolis Police Department for civil rights violations and a pattern and practice of inappropriate use of force. However, it is critical that the Justice Department go past its current commitments and promise to publicly release its findings, regardless of where their investigation leads.
“However, the Minneapolis Police Department is just one of thousands across the country that are perpetuating a state-sanctioned war on Black people. The Department of Justice needs to aggressively investigate the policies and practices of many police departments. It is past time we fundamentally rethink the concept of policing and remake public safety in a way that protects Black lives and invests in Black and Brown communities.”
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Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org