Police must have tools they need to 'fairly' do job: former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett
'I wish there was a one-size-fits-all,' Jarrett tells 'Mornings with Maria'
Former senior adviser to President Obama and ‘Finding My Voice’ author Valerie Jarrett provides insight into police reform, nationwide protests, the coronavirus pandemic, the Russia probe and presidential candidate Joe Biden’s vice president pick.
Former senior adviser to President Obama Valerie Jarrett reacted to the "defund the police" push among some protesters since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, saying officers should "have the tools they need to effectively and fairly police."
"We obviously have a breakdown between the bond of trust between communities of color and the police," Jarrett told "Mornings with Maria" ahead of President Trump signing an executive order on police reform Tuesday.
Trump's executive order includes establishing a database of police officers who have complaints filed against them over using excessive force. It also establishes a national credentialing and certification system that will give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices.
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It placed a ban on chokeholds, "except if an officer's life is at risk."
Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama, listens during the Skybridge Alternatives (SALT) conference in Las Vegas, on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Photographer: Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg via Getty Images
"I think we have to look at each community differently," said Jarrett, author of "Finding My Voice." "There are different needs ... but I do think there is a role for the federal government to play, in terms of setting the broad parameters, and then let's put pressure on local mayors and city councils to do the right thing."
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Jarrett called for "checks and balances" in police departments, transparency in internal investigations and separating prosecutors from those who investigate possible police misconduct.
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"I wish there was a one-size-fits-all," she said. "I wish there was a magic solution here. It's going to take a lot of hard work and effort."
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Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.