Police chiefs don't seem to agree with Trump’s advice to not be ‘too nice’ to suspects
Some police officers don’t agree with President Donald Trump’s advice to law enforcement on Friday, when he told officers “please don’t be too nice” when handling suspects.
“When you see these towns, and when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just see them thrown in — rough — I said, 'Please don't be too nice,'” Trump said. “Like when you guys put somebody in the car, and you're protecting their head, you know? The way you put your hand — like, don't hit their head, and they've just killed somebody? Don't hit their head? I said, 'You can take the hand away, okay,’” Trump told officers, according to The Washington Post.
Video shows some of the members of the Long Island, New York, crowd applauding.
In a statement released by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the organization said officers are to handle suspects with care.
“Law enforcement officers are trained to treat all individuals, whether they are a complainant, suspect, or defendant, with dignity and respect. This is the bedrock principle behind the concepts of procedural justice and police legitimacy,” the statement read.
Statement from @TheIACP on Police Use of Force https://t.co/MfEbFKt758
— The IACP (@TheIACP) July 28, 2017
Additionally, the Suffolk County police department tweeted against roughing suspects up.
As a department, we do not and will not tolerate roughing up of prisoners.
— Suffolk County PD (@SCPDHq) July 28, 2017
In his speech, Trump said laws are “stacked” against law enforcement, which make their jobs more difficult.
“For years and years, [laws have] been made to protect the criminal,” Trump said. “Totally protect the criminal, not the officers. You do something wrong, you’re in more jeopardy than they are. These laws are stacked against you. We’re changing those laws.”
There have been numerous, highly publicized cases of police officers shooting or brutalizing unarmed African-American citizens, which has eroded public trust in law enforcement among black communities, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
Officers rarely face jail time after these incidents.
In 2015, Freddie Grey’s spine was severed and he died in a Baltimore police van after being arrested. The officers involved were acquitted of all charges.
In June, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter after shooting Philando Castile during a routine traffic stop. Castile had an open carry permit for a gun and informed the officer he was carrying it.
This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Police chiefs don't seem to agree with Trump’s advice to not be ‘too nice’ to suspects."