On Monday, the International Association of Police Chiefs had a convention in San Diego. The organization's president, Terrence M. Cunningham, used the occasion to deliver remarks that acknowledged and apologized for law enforcement's "historical mistreatment of communities of color."
Cunningham's remarks come during a particularly fraught time in the relationship between the police and minority communities. High-profile police killings of Keith Lamont Scott, Terrence Crutcher, and others have contributed to a growing distrust of law enforcement—especially when people of color are getting harassed for just walking down the street.
The chief's remarks focused almost entirely on the past:
"There have been times when law enforcement officers, because of the laws enacted by federal, state, and local governments, have been the face of oppression for far too many of our fellow citizens. In the past, the laws adopted by our society have required police officers to perform many unpalatable tasks, such as ensuring legalized discrimination or even denying the basic rights of citizenship to many of our fellow Americans.
Cunningham went on to say that it was time for "IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color."
While that aspect of the speech was well-received by organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU, Cunningham notably changed his tone when he got to the present day. He said that "today’s officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past," and that if "those who denounce the police" do not acknowledge this, "we will be unlikely to move past [the injustices of the past]."
Even Cunningham's sort-of apology was too much for the Fraternal Order of Police, who demeaned Cunningham's speech as "just words." Chuck Canterbury, the F.O.P.'s national president, said: “Words and apologies do not adequately address the current issues facing law enforcement and the communities that we serve... Proactive steps that address the real concerns—urban decay, jobs, education, housing, and the like—would benefit all Americans and we look forward to a dialogue of action—not just words—at this critical time in our history.”
Terrence M. Cunningham's complete remarks are below:
I would like to take a moment to address a significant and fundamental issue confronting our profession, particularly within the United States. Clearly, this is a challenging time for policing. Events over the past several years have caused many to question the actions of our officers and has tragically undermined the trust that the public must and should have in their police departments. At times such as this, it is our role as leaders to assess the situation and take the steps necessary to move forward.
