2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 224
BY SENATOR PETERSON
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration on
Criminal Justice to evaluate current practices used by officers when interacting with
the community to eliminate police brutality and promote peaceful cooperation.
WHEREAS, while there are no definitive figures on how many Americans die in
police-citizen interactions, existing data indicates differentials by race suggestions that from
2010–2012, black men were twenty-one times more likely than their white peers to be killed
by police and similar racial disparities hold true among those injured by police; and
WHEREAS, an analysis of public records, local news reports, and Guardian
reporting found that thirty-two percent of black people killed by police in 2015 were
unarmed, as were twenty-five percent of Hispanic and Latino people, compared to fifteen
percent of white people killed; and
WHEREAS, as of May 31, 2015, eleven people have died in interactions with police
officers in Louisiana in 2015; and
WHEREAS, many have lost their lives in police-citizen encounters this year alone,
to include Monique Deckard of Anaheim, California, Richard Davis of Rochester, New
York, Freddie Gray of Baltimore, Maryland, Charly Keunang of Los Angeles, California,
A'donte Washington of Millbrook, Alabama, Walter Scott of North Charleston, South
Carolina, and Eric Harris of Tulsa, Oklahoma to name just a few; and
WHEREAS, while these are instances that have been publicized, they represent a
small sample of those who have lost their lives; and
WHEREAS, low income communities are disproportionately affected by unjust
police actions; and
WHEREAS, the militarization of police departments further erodes the trust that
should exist between residents and the police who serve them; and
WHEREAS, we must acknowledge and counter the effects of systemic racial bias,
and ensure our police departments and criminal justice institutions protect and serve all
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communities in a fair and just manner; and
WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon us as leaders of the state of Louisiana to urge and
request our law enforcement officials to review and evaluate current procedures used to train
officers for community engagement as well as implementing sound community-police
collaboration; and
WHEREAS, establishing trust requires sustained work on many fronts to build
relationships before crises occur and that the over-policing of communities through
aggressive traffic, drug, and petty offense enforcement does not help foster effective
community-police collaboration; and
WHEREAS, building trusting relationships is the key to successful
community-centered policing because police and residents who trust each other will be more
likely to collaborate on solutions to deep-seated safety concerns and police who understand
communities can deploy appropriate resources at critical times, avoid dynamics that can lead
to violence, and find community partners to improve safety in a sustainable way.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby urge and request Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and
Administration on Criminal Justice to evaluate current practices used by officers when
interacting with the community to eliminate police brutality and promote peaceful
cooperation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
and Administration on Criminal Justice shall gather further information relative to police-
community engagement and determine the best practices to achieve and promote peaceful
cooperation and effective community partnerships.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
and Administration on Criminal Justice shall report its findings to the legislature no later
than February 1, 2016.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration on Criminal Justice.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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