Biden’s new executive order on police reform: Everything to know

Law enforcement organizations in the United States were divided over President Joe Biden’s new executive order on police reform. While some said that the steps were in the right direction, others expressed concerns that it’s just “political theater.”

Those not in favor said that the changes demoralize and endanger police officers.

Biden signed the “Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety” Wednesday afternoon. Under the new order, all federal law enforcement will soon have to wear body cameras.

The order, which Biden says “is a measure of what we can do to heal the very soul of this nation,” was signed on the same day as the two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer was marked.

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The executive order also comes as crime rates hit the roof across the nation, while violence against officers on duty have also continued.

The executive order will have the Attorney General establish a National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, banning the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints, limiting the transfer of military vehicles and equipment to police departments.

“There are potentially elements of this Order that make sense and could be beneficial to all law enforcement. However, Sheriffs are disappointed that the President chose opaqueness over transparency in drafting this order,” NSA President Sheriff Vernon Stanforth said.

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“By choosing not to listen to elected law enforcement the President missed hearing from the rest of the Country. Unfortunately, [he] hand-picked who he and his staff would share the actual verbiage with and who they would take input from. Law enforcement operates in every county in America, not just in East and West coast cities.”

“This process leads us to believe the President had preconceived notions of our opinions and perspectives. Importantly, elected Sheriffs represent and protect 300,000,000 citizens, operate 90% of the Nation’s jails, protect 90%+ of the courthouses, and operate 90% of the 911 systems in the Nation. This effort can only be perceived to be biased against the nation’s 3,086 Sheriffs,” continued Stanforth.

In addition, the National Police Association (NPA) called Biden’s action “political theater,” which may endanger the lives of police officers and the public.

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Spokesperson Sgt. Betsy Branter Smith told Fox News Digital that restrictions on military equipment transfers is “one area in which, in the name of making the public safer, may endanger the lives of police and the public.”

“If the president is going to inhibit the ability of law enforcement agencies to obtain these lifesaving vehicles it is incumbent upon him personally to provide a substitute that will be equally effective in protecting police and the public,” Smith said.

Smith told Fox News Digital: “The death of George Floyd was tragic, our justice system has dealt harshly with those involved, and now isn’t the time to tell the public that American law enforcement is ‘systematically racist’ and needs to be further limited in our methods to stop the criminal activity that continues to plague our nation. It would be most helpful if the president would declare a war on crime so that criminals would once again know the president doesn’t have their back.”

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Meanwhile, Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF) said: “This Executive Order is a political response to activist demands. If the administration really wishes to help law enforcement improve its training and continue to increase professional standards, it can be done. But that requires working with law enforcement leadership and the various labor organizations that represent law enforcement officers.”

“I sincerely hope the administration will recognize that, while politically expedient, unjustified restraints on law enforcement has had and will have a deleterious effect on public safety.”

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which played “an integral” part in developing the executive order, says the order “strikes the correct balance between understanding the public need for accountability and understanding the law enforcement needs for ensuring all communities are safe and protected.”