Church of the Brethren interim general secretary Dale Minnich has signed on to a letter from an interfaith coalition to Congressional leaders, which urges that steps be taken to mend divisions between communities and law enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an interfaith community, we are guided by our traditions\u2019 foundational principles of equality, respect, love and mercy for all people, and we are committed to addressing the United States\u2019 deep racial divisions and their consequences,\u201d the letter says, in part. \u201cWe deplore violent attacks on law enforcement and desire constructive cooperation among all community stakeholders. We hope that Congress will lead the nation in this necessary endeavor to advance justice reforms that build trust between law enforcement and local communities, protect human life, and ensure equality and proportionality.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The text of the letter follows in full, along with a list of religious organizations that have signed on to it:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Honorable Mitch McConnell \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Paul Ryan \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi July 14, 2016<\/p>\n RE: Interfaith Coalition Urges Immediate Steps to Mend Divisions between Communities and Law Enforcement<\/p>\n Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker Ryan and Minority Leaders Reid and Pelosi:<\/p>\n Mourning the crisis of violence in the United States and recognizing that last week\u2019s terrifying shootings in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights and Dallas are yet another reminder of the great harm caused by unaddressed racial injustices and divisions in America, the undersigned faith organizations join in prayer for healing, love and accountability. As we continue to promote civil dialogue and work to heal community divisions, we also recognize that your leadership is critical to addressing the monumental crisis of racial injustice that has plagued this nation since its inception.<\/p>\n According to data compiled by The Washington Post ( www.washingtonpost.com\/graphics\/national\/police-shootings<\/a> ), 990 fatal police shootings occurred in 2015. Surprisingly, reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation have never counted more than 460 police shootings in a single year. Addressing this shocking data disparity is a crucial first step to understanding the extent of excessive use of force by police, and therefore we seek your support for the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act of 2015 (S. 2168\/H.R. 2875). The bill would require law enforcement to report data on traffic and pedestrian stops, frisk and body searches, and use of deadly force, including demographic details such as race, ethnicity, age and gender. The legislation would also provide accreditation, training and funding to law enforcement to implement best practice pilot programs.<\/p>\n Our organizations also urge your support for the End Racial Profiling Act (S. 1056 \/H.R. 1933) to prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement and to support data collection on its prevalence. Nationwide surveys indicate that during traffic stops, black and Hispanic drivers are three times more likely than white drivers to be searched by police. Black drivers are also twice as likely as white drivers to be arrested during a traffic stop despite the fact that police generally have lower \u201ccontraband hit rates\u201d when they search black versus white drivers. Additional studies conducted between 2002 and 2008 have shown Hispanic Americans were up to twice as likely and black Americans up to three times as likely as white Americans to experience physical force or the threat of force when encountering police ( www.sentencingproject.org\/publications\/race-and-punishment-racial-perceptions-of-crime-and-support-for-punitive-policies<\/a> ).<\/p>\n
\nUnited States Senate \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United States Senate
\nWashington, DC 20510 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Washington, DC 20510<\/p>\n
\nUnited States House of Representatives \u00a0\u00a0United States House of Representatives
\nWashington, DC 20515 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Washington, DC 20515<\/p>\n