The group Black Clergy of Lincoln shared its recommendations for police reform today on the steps of the Hall of Justice. Community leaders have been meeting with Mayor Leirion Gaylord-Baird and Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister for months to find ways to make Lincoln safer for all citizens.
Minister John Leonard Harris said he appreciates being invited to the conversation, but there’s more work to do.
“We are not going to wait until we find ourselves in a situation where we have to deal with this because someone has died in Lincoln. That is not what we're waiting for," Harris said. "We have the opportunity, the privilege, to bring about change and reform, practices, policies and procedures.”
Recommendations include a complete ban of police choke holds, use of local experts for anti-bias training, granting investigative abilities to the Citizens Advisory Police Board, and the use of de-escalation language for all police officers.