AFT’s Weingarten and Johnson on Shootings in Charlotte, NC, and Tulsa, Okla., and on Trump’s Stop-and-Frisk Proposal

WASHINGTON— In response to the killing by police of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Okla., and Keith Scott in Charlotte, N.C., AFT President Randi Weingarten and Secretary-Treasurer Lorretta Johnson issued the following statement:

“Terence Crutcher was a stranded motorist seeking help. Keith Scott was reading in his car. Both should be home safe with their families, but both men are dead, killed by police officers.

“The ongoing crisis of institutional bias that has caused repeated fatal shootings by police against men and women of color is a systemic problem that goes far beyond law enforcement. It is a national problem in need of a national solution.

“In far too many communities, there is too much fear and distrust between police and the people they are sworn to serve and protect. We must work together to restore that trust and rebuild relationships.

“In places like Dallas, where community policing and outreach have been prioritized, we see positive progress. That’s the strategy we need to follow: dialogue, engagement, transparency and accountability.

“We were disappointed but not surprised to see Donald Trump suggest exactly the opposite approach by proposing a national stop-and-frisk policy. Stop and frisk didn’t help reduce crime in New York City; it escalated tensions between police and communities. When Mayor Bill de Blasio ended the practice, crime went down, not up. Trump’s proposal will only lead to more distrust, more anger, more tragedies and more unrest.

“Many people—some of whom are curiously silent when people of color are killed at the hands of police—have condemned the unrest in Charlotte. Protest is the language of people who are not being heard. While we stand resolutely for nonviolent expression, it is clear that people in Charlotte are not being heard. 

“In Tulsa, authorities engaged protestors and the community through transparency and dialogue and acted quickly to hold the officer accountable, and protests have remained peaceful.

“In Charlotte, protestors were met with obfuscation, police in riot gear and tear gas. This is a pattern we’ve seen repeated: Where authorities engage the community after these tragedies, protests remain calm. Where protestors are met with militaristic force and calls for transparency are ignored, unrest escalates.

“It’s time to seriously address these issues with a top-to-bottom reform of our justice system and our social compact. We must examine the policies and practices in all our institutions—including police departments—that breed bias and fear. Police are not the enemy—institutionalized bias is. At the AFT, we have committed ourselves to the work of addressing our own bias and breaking down systemic bias that holds people back. We are ready and eager to partner with anyone who is serious about creating a more just, more inclusive, fairer society.”