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Hate and division, instead of united and strong are messages seen across the media. Many politicians have not addressed the cause of protests, riots, and emotional upset expressed by citizens. No solution has been suggested but attention has been diverted to the chaos of riots, looting and violence erupting because lawmakers have not taken initiative to change the current legislature involving police. The marches are not only for George Floyd, but for every person who faces prejudice law enforcement who abuse their power. The protests are against police brutality and abuse of power. More people, not just black people, will continue to die if reforms are not made to remove bad cops. It’s a misunderstanding to think supporting BLM is anti-police.  A reform is needed, not only to protect our citizens, but to protect the dignity and reputation of all good police officers who continue to serve. The world is watching our nation, and are marching to support the cause, but all of this will be for nothing if no one pushes their state to make a change. Law enforcements are under state jurisdiction, not federal.  "In accordance with the federal structure of the United States government, the national (federal) government is not authorized to execute general police powers by the Constitution of the United States of America. The power to have a police force is given to each of the United States' 50 federated states."

Changes need to be made by each state, but a state needs to take the charge and lead this nation to reform police officer behavior. It takes a movement and unity to create change. Ohioans should strive to push for reform in Ohio by pressuring lawmakers and government officials. Suggestive reforms for Ohio politicians to consider for police officers.

Make police union contracts accountable

Do not allow contracts that:

- Disqualify misconduct complaints

- Prevent police officers from being interrogated immediately

- Allow officers access to information that civilians do not get prior to being interrogated

- Give officers paid leave while under investigation, as well as paying officers legal fees, and/or cost of settlements from city funding

- Prevent information on past misconduct investigation from being recorded or retained in an officer’s personnel file

- Limit disciplinary consequences for officers

- Ensure police officers must have body cameras on at all times to use as a cross reference or face harsh disciplinary actions that could result in job loss.

- Prevent police from obscuring personal identifiable information such as badge number, insignias, etc.

Reduce the amount of power allowed by police officers

- Ensure police officers cannot be investigated by their own department, or anyone who has any association with the department. A third-party should conduct investigation to prevent biases and favoritism.

- Ensure police officers found obstructing justice by covering up another officers misconduct, must be reprimanded as well.

- Harsher penalties should be put in place for officers found breaking the law and code of conduct as a deterrence from abusing power such as permanently losing the right to be an officer

- Introduce policies to restrict the amount of force used by police

• Limit or ban the use of chokeholds and strangulation techniques on civilians
• Require officers to give verbal warnings before using deadly force
• Limit or ban officers from shooting at moving vehicles
• Require officers to exhaust all other means before resorting to deadly force
• Require officers to report each time they use force against civilians
• Demilitarize and limit the type of weapons allowed to be use by police officers

Require more vigorous training and requirements to become a police officer

Have stricter qualifying requirements to become a police officer

- Add additional types of entrance exams besides COMPASS as a requirement, use a situational judgement test as a qualifying factor for police academy

- Require an associate degree as a minimum instead of a high school diploma or GED

- Increase the amount of training and curriculum required in the police academy

- Currently in Ohio, police academy on average is completed in 6 months if attended 5 days a week for 24 weeks. 

- Have statewide requirement for all police officers to be held to the same educational training standards from local law enforcements to state troopers

- Increase police officers de-escalation training requirement from the minimum 2-hour requirement each year, as well as increase police community relation requirements.