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The head of the police chiefs association issued an apology on behalf of the police but failed to tie the past to the present. And he's being called out on it. Â
On Monday, the president of the International Association of Police Chiefs, Terrence M. Cunningham, took a bold step by offering an apology for "the role that our profession has played in society's historical mistreatment of communities of color," but critics say his speech lacks accountability for current police violence.
Cunningham told the 18,000-member group at its annual convention, held in San Diego, that while officers must acknowledge the historical mistreatment of communities of color, but also said that "those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today's officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past."
That did not sit well with some activists. "Acknowledging that black people have experienced oppression in the past is not enough," Black Lives Matter cofounder Alicia Garza told ThinkProgress.
Garza said she'd rather have an "honest conversation" than "one that feels good," explaining that the police need to acknowledge the role they play in today's oppression of black people, and mentioning that every 28 hours a black person dies at the hands of police.
In an interview with NPR's All Things Considered, Cunningham explained that he felt it was important to acknowledge the historical causes of today's rift but didn't directly say that the problems are just as current as they are historical.
National Fraternal Order of Police president Chuck Canterbury also spoke out against the statement, according to a Washington Post report, echoing the sentiments of Garza and adding. "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."
The remarks came after several law enforcement unions, including the Fraternal Order of Police, endorsed Donald Trump for president, and several groups are now calling for them to rescind the endorsements after the revelation of Trump's remarks boasting of sexual assault and the allegations of several women that he had assaulted them.
One of the Trump campaign's key phrases is "law and order," which some claim is an endorsement of policing strategies like stop-and-frisk that disproportionally affect black Americans.
Police departments, police unions, and city offices across the country have been the target of protests, especially in cities where a police shooting has occurred. The Movement For Black Lives coalition, of which Black Lives Matter is a part, calls for divestment from current law enforcement practices to invest in education and other reformative policies.
