A progressive-backed bill that would require cultural sensitivity training for police trainees has been panned by House Republicans, some of whom are former police officers.
“It is essential that law enforcement officers are fully trained on department policies and procedures to be held to the highest standards that keep officers and the public safe,” Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.), a former sheriff who served with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for 40 years, told Fox News Digital.
“But it is not, and should not be, the role of the council to dictate to local authorities what their training should look like.”
According to a press release, the bill would require police academy entrants to “receive sensitivity training on topics including ethics, racial bias, cultural diversity, police interactions with people with disabilities, people in mental health crisis, and new immigrants.”
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Former sheriffs and current Republican representatives Pete Stauber (left) and John Rutherford (right) have criticized Democratic legislation on police training as overly sensitive and biased. (Getty Images)
It also requires independent investigations and prosecutions of officers who allegedly used deadly force.
The bill was introduced earlier this month by Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., in response to the police shooting death of Sonia Massie, a Black woman in Illinois. Massie was shot and killed by an officer in her own home after calling 911 about a person she suspected of wandering. Massie was fired and recently pleaded not guilty to charges, including first-degree murder.
Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) accused Democrats of not being interested in serious reform but instead trying to push an agenda to “defund the police.”
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Progressive Rep. Steve Cohen is spearheading the bill in the House. (Getty Images)
“Even after the failure of their radical ‘defund the police’ movement, Radical Democrats continue to demonize the brave men and women who protect and serve our communities. These anti-police politicians don’t want real reform, they want to eradicate law enforcement altogether, and proposals like this continue to incite violence against them,” Stauber told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana), another former sheriff, called the bill “another dangerously stupid and bad idea from the woke left.”
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Rep. Clay Higgins also voiced opposition to the bill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I oppose any efforts to nationalize law enforcement, and Senator Cohen’s bill does just that,” Rutherford explained.
“Public safety relies on a diverse network of law enforcement agencies at the state and local levels. This bill would tie the hands of state and local police agencies, requiring them to meet national standards overseen by presidential appointees and bureaucrats in Washington,” he said.
Cohen’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
