Press Release
CSS Statement on Conviction of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin
Given the long and disturbing history in this nation of police officers getting away with using excessive force against Black people, there was more than a little trepidation around the outcome of the George Floyd verdict. That the defendant, Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, was found guilty of all charges offers a glimmer of hope that going forward officers who abuse their authority will be held accountable, and that real reform of policing in this country may be within reach.
However, this verdict does not erase the horror of the bystanders who bore witness to an act they were powerless to change. This verdict does not undo the outrage of all of us who watched cell phone footage of George Floyd’s murder and asked, “how can this happen?” as four police officers, sworn to protect and serve the public, ignore the desperate pleas of a man in their custody begging to breathe. This verdict does not heal the trauma of communities that are subject to the violence and oppression of over-policing and systemic bias.
Finally, the verdict does not bring George Floyd back to his family. Nor does it bring back Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, and too many other victims of police brutality and violence.
A fitting tribute to George Floyd and other victims of indefensible police violence would be if this verdict marks a moment where change becomes tangible; where accountability becomes the norm, not the exception; where Americans of every color and creed can believe that our justice system is, in fact, bending the arc towards justice.
Following George Floyd’s death last year, CSS created a police reform database featuring “best practices” and interviews with policing experts. Its purpose was to be a resource to communities statewide engaging in Governor Cuomo’s executive order mandating that all municipalities partner with local stakeholders on the implementation of reforms to police policies and practices, or risk losing state aid. The database, as well as our ongoing efforts to enact Clean Slate legislation, are examples of ways we can right past wrongs of over-policing and over-prosecution of communities of color.
We have a long way to go before we realize a vision of policing in our city, and indeed across this nation, that is based on mutual respect, not fear. Yesterday’s verdict was a step in the right direction.