Issue Position: Policing

Issue Position

For policing to be effective, law enforcement agencies must work collaboratively with the communities they are sworn to serve, in a mutually trusting relationship. Yet in too many Maryland communities, that trust is absent. We can change that. Lorig is a leader and and innovator in community-led policing efforts that give residents a voice in how policing happens in their communities. Community-led policing can be the key to creating a criminal justice system that reduces harm and increases justice, community safety and trust in the police. Maryland police agencies must make crime prevention and harm reduction a priority over arrest and incarceration. Law enforcement strategies should encourage partnerships and joint problem-solving between officers and the communities they are sworn to protect. All officers must receive training and tools they need to police safely and with as little force as possible. Maryland should develop and implement initiatives to bolster officer wellness and emotional wellbeing, as well as the transparency and accountability measures that are necessary to achieve lasting police legitimacy.

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