Ten years ago, a young man by the name of Michael E. Bell lost his life at the hands of four officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The incident took place after a traffic stop in front of his home and in front of his mother and sister. Imagine the feeling Michael’s family felt when an investigation lead by peers, cleared the officers of any misconduct.

As I look at the landscape of our communities, counties, cities, and country, I cannot help but feel concerned about the climate between Citizens and Law Enforcement.  Since that tragic night in 2004, hundreds of people have lost their lives to police. Many of those investigations concluded that the officers’ actions were justified. While countless officers’ wear their shields with dignity and honor, some stand to tarnish the integrity, oaths and unswerving commitment to public service and safety. To build strong bonds and cooperation with citizens, law enforcement depend on environments that foster and cultivate a sense of trust. Unfortunately, cases like Bells and 10 years later like Brown’s in Ferguson, Missouri, tear away from the fabric of trust in communities. Families across the nation are calling on leaders to minimize the current, great potential for bias in investigations of officer-involved deaths.

The State of Wisconsin leads the way by setting a much-needed precedent for all states across the nation with passing the Wisconsin Assembly Bill 409 into law. The law brings independent review to all officer-involved fatalities in addition to drug testing of all officers involved. An independent review would offer oversight by those not currently subject to the pressures of a job in law enforcement. Please feel free to give feedback on who should serve on the board to review investigations of officer-caused deaths, which would protect the honor of the police profession without forsaking the invaluable lives of civilians. This landmark legislation will help combat an antiquated system that allows bad cops to avoid accountability and tarnish the image of all law officers.

Please support me in asking the citizens, dedicated public servants and police officers throughout Pennsylvania and all those who work tirelessly to uphold the safety and integrity of their positions. To work to pass transformative legislation like this in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This will lead to preemptive legislation that will build and strengthen community trust via transparent review by experienced and independent professionals. If we come together and aid in making this a reality for Pennsylvanians, the public will have rock-solid confidence that their police force, are held to uniform and consistent standards and law enforcement, and protected from speculation and suspicion.