Every day hundreds of Black men and women and other people of color are mistreated by policemen and policewomen. Too often Black men and women become hashtags rather than leaders of our communities due to systematic racism and police brutality.

On June 3, Colorado lawmakers Leroy Garcia, Rhonda Fields, Leslie Herod and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez announced their plan to change that. They proposed a bill called The Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act. The bill was first introduced June 3rd 2020 and  finalized as a bill on June 4th 2020. Here is a brief overview of what it would accomplish:

• 1. It would get rid of qualified immunity for officers meaning they can be individually sued if they cause serious bodily injury or death.
• 2. It would require all officers in Colorado to wear body cameras. It would require all recordings of an incident to be released to the public within 14 days after the incident.
• 3. It would require the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Public Safety to create an annual report of the information that is reported to the attorney general,  and broken down by state or local agency that employs police officers, along with the underlying data.
• 4. It would change the rules of acceptable force police can use. The bill allows a police officer or detention facility guard to use deadly physical force only when necessary to effect an arrest or prevent escape from custody when the person is using a deadly weapon or likely to imminently cause danger to life or serious bodily injury. The bill repeals a peace officer's authority to use a chokehold, the same chokehold that proved fatal for George Floyd and many more similar to George Floyd.
• 5. Finally it would prohibit an officer who was fired for using excessive force from applying to another police precinct in another city in Colorado.

I think this bill would not only hold officers accountable but it would also strengthen community ties between citizens and officers. Relationships between officers are vital for the safety of our community. I believe strong relationships between officers and community members can create a safer Colorado. Yet when officers are allowed to brutally abuse the Black members of our community that relationship is torn apart making it far more dangerous for Black Americans in Colorado.

As a 14 year old white male ally to the Black community, I feel like it is not only my job to stand with the Black members of our community but also to stand up for what is right and to make changes. Stopping police brutality is long overdue. It is time that policemen and policewomen are held accountable for their actions. If you sign this petition, it will be the first step toward justice and racial equality. Lets stand together and make change. Let's create a Colorado that has more integrity, equity and justice for everyone in our community.