Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown signed Former President Obama’s Mayor’s pledge calling for mayors, city councils, and police oversight bodies to address police use of force policies.
“Santa Monica leadership has been in the streets with peaceful protesters. Looting and lawlessness last weekend have not distracted us from the need for real action in response to the murder of George Floyd and the unacceptable persistence of institutional racism in America,” said Mayor Kevin McKeown. “I have joined with former President Obama and, as an individual, signed the ‘Obama Pledge,’ promising to review, engage, report, and reform, putting common-sense limits on the use of force. Further, on Tuesday night I’ll ask the entire Council to affirm that action, and further authorize staff to explore Santa Monica implementation of police reforms like those just announced in Los Angeles and the ‘8CantWait’ anti-violence policies.”
The pledge includes a commitment to:
REVIEW police use of force policies;
ENGAGE your communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review;
REPORT the findings of your review to your community and seek feedback;
REFORM your community’s police use of force policies. More info: www.obama.org/mayor-pledge/
Submitted by Constance Farrell, Public Information Officer