INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTING FAIR AND EFFECTIVE POLICING THROUGH RESEARCH ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 113
(Extensions of Remarks - June 18, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTING FAIR AND EFFECTIVE POLICING THROUGH
RESEARCH ACT
______
HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON
of texas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the
Promoting Fair and Effective Policing Through Research Act.
We are a nation in mourning. Our shared anguish over the loss of
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, Botham
Jean and countless other black men and women at the hands of police has
spurred a growing chorus of Americans to demand not only justice, but
meaningful and lasting change.
Cities across the nation are grappling with how to respond. A number
of officials have committed to sweeping reductions in police department
funding and embraced a move toward innovative approaches to providing
public safety. Others are calling for more resources for police
departments and advocating for procedural reforms.
I am heartened that we, as a nation, are engaging in a substantive
discourse about the role of policing in American society. This day is
long overdue and has come at too high a cost, but we must seize this
opportunity. We must dig deep to examine how the history and culture of
policing in America has brought us to this tumultuous place. And, in
our search for solutions, we must be guided by evidence grounded in
data and scientific research.
First and foremost, we must have a national database on police use of
force, and I am glad to see this included in the Justice in Policing
Act. We must explore the legacy of policing and the root cause of the
racial disparities we observe. We must assess the organizational
influences on policing--such as recruitment, training, and performance
evaluation. We must examine promising practices for promoting
accountability and fostering community trust. We must study the
influence of technology and big data on vulnerable populations and work
to root out any biases. Finally, we must establish meaningful
partnerships between law enforcement and researchers to empower
jurisdictions to tailor proven solutions to meet their needs and the
needs of the communities they serve.
The bill I am introducing today directs the National Science
Foundation (NSF) to fund social and behavioral research on policing
policies, including the causes, consequences, and mitigation of police
violence. NSF is directed to support collaborative partnerships between
social science researchers, law enforcement agencies, and civil society
organizations. The bill also provides for a National Academies study to
identify research gaps related to law enforcement policies, collect
promising practices, and make recommendations for advancing research
and implementation of proven solutions.
This bill would also address research and standards for biometric
identification technologies, including facial recognition technologies.
If we allow inaccuracies or biases to persist in these systems, then
when deployed in high-impact situations, like decision making in the
criminal justice system, those biases will disproportionately harm
communities of color. Important research and testing at the National
Institute of Standards and Technology has already helped identify the
biases and improve the accuracy of these systems. This bill directs
NIST to expand upon these efforts and focus on new areas in need of
testing, such as capture devices. This bill will also help lead to
standardization of methodologies and practices to eliminate biases
across the industry and develop guidance to inform law enforcement
procurement decisions.
Importantly, science and standardization are only two pieces in the
biometric puzzle. We need a national privacy law to limit the risk of
abuse from biometric identification technologies. I call on my
colleagues in the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the House
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the House Committee on the
Judiciary to take up this issue with haste.
Finally, the bill leverages science at the Department of Homeland
Security to support the reduction of excessive use of force and lethal
use of force by law enforcement. There have been too many fatal
encounters with not only state and local police across the country, but
also with Federal law enforcement, including the U.S. Park Police. This
bill requires the Under Secretary for Science and Technology to consult
with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers to support research
and data analysis to improve training, policies, and practices for
Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials. The
Department's research and support for risk assessment tools can assist
in the development of guidelines and best practices for policing and
police training, including how to mitigate racial bias and minimize the
use of excessive force.
I urge my colleagues to join me and help move this legislation
forward into law.
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