Michigan’s Lt. Governor Discusses Michigan Police Reform On MSNBC

Over the weekend Michigan's Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II appeared on MSNBC with NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Kasie Hunt to discuss police reform in Michigan. Kasie asked him what power does he and Governor Whitmer have to implement some of the “top line things that people are demanding” such as banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants.

Gilchrist stated:

We have the ability, and I think the responsibility, to speak our values and speak our truth here about how we need to invest in communities, how we need to make sure that law enforcement is building a relationship with the community and not have an adversarial one

He went on to say:

Because law enforcement professionals are professionals, they need to be treated just like teachers or engineers or doctors. You have to keep honing your craft and getting better at your job…So we're certainly working with the Legislature to the extent that we can.

In discussing who the players in police reform should be Gilchrist stated:

I think everyone has a role to play in fixing this broken system, and a broken set of relationships and that includes police unions that represent officers…But those officers are members of communities and everyone in our community needs to have empathy for the people who have a genuine and justified fear of any interaction with law enforcement. We all have a role to play, and I think policing unions need to step up to the plate, just like everybody else.

Lt. Governor Gilchrist spoke about Whitmer’s expansion of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) to include community input and civil rights oversight on the board. Last week Whitmer stated she will appoint three community members as well as the director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights to that Commission.

To hear his interview with Kasie click on the following link:

Michigan’s Lt. Governor discussing police reform in Michigan on MSNBC.'

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