New SLC Commission On Racial Equity In Policing To Review Policies
Jun 17, 2020, 9:34 PM | Updated: 9:40 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In a new effort for transparency and accountability, the Salt Lake City Council approved measures for a third party to review Salt Lake City police practices.
The new city commission, called Racial Equity in Policing, will be compromised of community members from various backgrounds.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendehall’s office said they will be looking at the police budget, use of force practices, relationships with people of color in the community and the culture inside the police department.
“They have these Kumbaya moments. I am not looking for that. I am looking for policy change in the state capitol,” said community leader Lex Scott said.
Scott believes the commission is a good idea, but hoped more change will be happening with laws around policing.
Natalia Washington, a professor of psychology at the University of Utah, said racism can exist in people’s daily lives, and leave behind trauma that sticks with people.
“You become extremely emotional in a way that seems like an overreaction but it’s not a reaction to the particular instance, it is a reaction to the long term build-up of your experiences,” Washington said.
Mendenhall’s office will announce more on the Racial Equity in Policing commission next week.
