Police reform will be among the thorny issues that confront the Arkansas Legislature when it convenes next month.
A framework for proposed changes in state law and in policy were revealed last week as the Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas submitted its report to Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Hutchinson created the task force in the wake of public outrage, in Arkansas and throughout the nation earlier this year, over the death of George Floyd, who died pinned under a Minneapolis police officer's knee while in custody for allegedly passing a fake $20 bill. His was one of many deaths attributed to police brutality over the years. It launched a summer of protests and pleas for change.
Protesters in Arkansas persuaded the governor back then, he said Thursday, that there were "things we ought to look at."
He later asked a 25-member panel of law enforcement officers and representatives of other stakeholder groups, including advocates for police reform, to weigh in.
Their report addresses best policing practices and ways to improve trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
The lengthy report contains 27 recommendations for changes in state law, policy or practices. They range from limits on the use of part-time police officers and expanded bias training for police to a state mandate that officers fired for use of excessive force or dishonesty be reported to a statewide database.
While some of the recommendations may be implemented through administrative change, others will require legislative action.
The Arkansas Legislature will convene in January in its regular session.
The governor is expected to incorporate many of the recommendations into his proposed legislative package.
Not all will be easy to sell to lawmakers, largely because of the price tags attached.
The task force does recommend governments seek grants to help with some costs, but others will have to be paid either by the state or by local governments.
Nevertheless, there are some worthy proposals in the mix, along with some that might not be popular.
Don't limit your thoughts to the state's major cities or counties. Imagine the impact of these recommendations on a financially strapped small town or some tiny county. No matter the need, they may resist any change that costs them money.
A number of the task force's recommendations relate to police training requirements, policy and operations, specifically those tied to cultural, racial and community relations.
The panel suggested all field officers be trained in communication skills, recognizing implicit or unconscious bias, ethics, the duty to intervene when other officers fail to follow standards, cultural competency, de-escalation in potentially violent situations and crisis intervention. Cultural competence refers to an ability to appreciate and interact with people from cultural backgrounds different from one's own.
It wants better awareness and use of four existing Arkansas Crisis Stabilization Units to allow access to community mental health providers.
The panel specifically asked the Legislature to help fund purchase of body cameras for all front-line duty officers by 2026.
It also asked for creation of a multi-lingual campaign to help people know their rights and what to do when pulled over by police.
Among accountability recommendations is that any new or inactive police agency employ a full-time police chief, that untruthfulness and excessive force be separated into independent elements under state law and that the police decertification process be speeded up, with adjudicated decertification records published on a public database.
With regard to community policing, the task force recommended that law enforcement recruits spend training time within local communities, observing and interacting with community members. The panel specifically proposed that police agencies engage minority community organizations to assess minority needs and rebuild trust.
Almost half of the 27 recommendations address requirements and obstacles for recruitment, hiring and retention of law enforcement officers.
The task force calls for entry-level salaries for law enforcement officers that match or exceed the average annual wage in Arkansas. They also recommend incremental salary increases equivalent to an officer's years of service, rank and responsibility.
The task force suggested legislation to exempt a portion of an active full-time officer's salary from state income taxes, to fund health care coverage for full-time officers and their dependents, to provide a loan forgiveness program for law officers and to allow full-time certified officers to attend a state-supported institution of higher education tuition free.
The task force also asked for a number of retirement-related enhancements, including exemption of the first 50 percent of benefits from state income tax.
The report itself is far more extensive than what can be detailed here. It will have to be reviewed by the governor and by lawmakers before we'll know how much will actually be considered by the full Legislature.
Some of it surely will be, however, and Arkansas should be better off for its effort to reform policing.
Brenda Blagg is a freelance columnist and longtime journalist in Northwest Arkansas. Email her at [email protected].