The president’s executive order, set to be unveiled Tuesday, is designed to spur local reforms while drawing contrasts with liberal activists.
President Donald Trump hopes to acknowledge a nationwide uproar over police brutality while preventing rifts with police and other law enforcement groups integral to his political future.
With an executive order set to be unveiled at a White House event on Tuesday, the president is expected to lay out the case for the creation of a national database of police misconduct, so officers with a history of overly aggressive behavior cannot simply move to another department or state to escape scrutiny, according to a senior administration official. The order will also urge social workers and mental health professionals to work more closely alongside frontline officers. Finally, it will offer guidelines for new training and credentialing for police officers on de-escalating tense situations, and the best times to use force, according to the senior administration official, who said the goal of the order was not to demonize police officers.
The White House’s latest move, following weeks of protests in communities across the nation, has been crafted in close consultation with police officers, mayors, conservative African Americans, faith-based leaders and the families of victims, according to people familiar with the planning. Maintaining the political support of police — and appearing like a law-and-order president — has been a leading imperative for Trump’s top aides and political advisers as some liberal activists push to defund police departments and divert money to community programs. Continue reading.