Marchers hold up a portrait of George Floyd outside the Minnesota State Capitol building, St. Paul, March 19, 2021 (Stephen Maturen/Getty)
I spoke with Monocle 24’s Emma Nelson on Friday morning about the prospects for US police reform following the conviction of Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.
We discuss the situation at national, state, and local level. What steps can the Biden Administration implement? Will Senate Republicans block any measures? Can cities across the US shift the emphasis from confrontation to community safety?
At the end, I add a reflection based on the career of my grandfather, a police officer in Lexington, Kentucky for 34 years.
Listen from 2:14:
My grandfather never fired his weapon in anger. He never put his knee on the neck of any person, let alone a person of color. He always upheld “Protect and Serve”.
Seeing him maintain that the community is the priority and security is for all of us, not just some — that has always influenced me. “Protect and Serve” should become a right for all Americans, not just an option based on skin color.