Civil rights activists are applauding California Gov. Jerry Brown, who recently signed three bills in a push to fight racial profiling.
The Los Angeles Times reports that under the new bills, which were signed over the weekend, police officers would be required to track the race and ethnicity of everyone they stop. Additionally, all officers would be required to wear body cams and report all incidents where force is used that result in injury or death.
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“Our communities have lived experiences with biased policing, ranging from racial profiling to excessive and sometimes lethal use of force,” activist Patrisse Cullors told the Times. “This inevitably breeds distrust in law enforcement, which in turn undermines the safety of all Californians.”
The governor issued a statement saying that the bills would help mend the trust between law enforcement officials and their communities.
“I applaud the efforts of all of those who worked tirelessly to pass this bill and especially to the families who lost loved ones due to police violence,” Los Angeles activist Jerron Jordan said to the Times. “I am glad that our Governor had the moral courage to sign our bill.”
