We need to ensure people are protected from false claims by police.

Dear John, 

Congress is going out of its way to protect police officers from a problem that does not exist. The Protect and Serve Act would give police officers the same protections used in federal hate crime laws to protect marginalized groups. The proposed law effectively would make it a federal hate crime “to knowingly cause bodily injury to any person, or attempt to do so, because of the actual or perceived status of the person as a law enforcement officer.”1 Police officers already have sufficient protection at the state and federal levels. This would be yet another tool for police and prosecutors to place people under more pressure to plead guilty to crimes they haven't committed.

We must tell our legislators we don't need to give police even more power to threaten our community members with incarceration.

Keep Communities Safe - Call on Congress to vote against the harmful bills up for a vote in the next few months.

There is no war on the police. We need Congress to focus on real issues and to promote policies to keep our communities safe.

We call on lawmakers to say “No” to the Protect and Serve Act.

We've seen officers across the country lie about being assaulted.2 We also know police officers and prosecutors use the threat of additional charges with harsh penalties to force people who've been arrested into making false confessions to avoid lengthy jail time.3 We do not need Congress to pass legislation giving law enforcement even more power to apply these harmful practices.

Keep Communities Safe - Call on Congress to vote against the harmful bills up for a vote in the next few months.

Since the murder of George Floyd in 2020, there has been no congressional action aimed at reforming our flawed policing system. Instead, Congress has consistently prioritized law enforcement over our communities' well-being, sending a clear message that lawmakers are willing to stand with the police at the expense of Black people.

Make sure your voice is heard! Sign now to tell your congressional representative to oppose the Protect and Serve Act.

Until Justice Is Real,

Sakira Cook
Vice President of Campaigns, Policy and Government Affairs
Color Of Change

 References:

  1. Rutherford, J. (2023, February 2). H.R.743 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Protect and serve act of 2023. Congress.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://act.colorofchange.org/go/395122?t=8&akid=56884%2E4731121%2EwCNURH
  2. Bogel-burroughs, N., & Robles, F. (2021, August 28). When police lie, the innocent pay. some are fighting back. The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://act.colorofchange.org/go/395123?t=10&akid=56884%2E4731121%2EwCNURH
  3. Wilford, M. (2023, April 24). The American Bar Association's plea bargain task force. Psychology Today. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://act.colorofchange.org/go/395124?t=12&akid=56884%2E4731121%2EwCNURH