House working group visits Atlanta to find solutions to law enforcement challenges

U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and other members of the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group traveled to Atlanta recently to facilitate an open dialogue on ways to improve relations between police and the communities they protect.

Joined by U.S. Reps. Doug Collins (R-GA) and David Reichert (R-WA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Goodlatte met with law enforcement and community leaders to discuss police accountability, attacks against law enforcement and public safety.

The lawmakers attended a roundtable discussion with Atlanta Police Chief George Turner, U.S. Attorney John Horn and other local leaders to seek ways to mend the mistrust among law enforcement and the African-American community.

“It is imperative that we come together and address violent attacks on police officers and instances of excessive force by police officers. We all want to see an end to senseless violence,” Goodlatte, co-chair of the working group, said at a briefing after the roundtable.

“This issue primarily needs to be addressed at the local level. It has been encouraging to hear from leaders in Atlanta on how they are addressing it,” he added.

The group also toured the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, a federal prison that houses more than 2,200 inmates, and learned about the facility’s reentry services for inmates, including those who are mentally ill.

Collins, who helped arrange the visit, said it gave the Policing Strategies Working Group an opportunity to learn about some of the best practices city and state law enforcement have in place.

“Over the course of the trip, we had the privilege of hearing from law enforcement and community leaders and gathered information that will drive forward the conversation on policing and communities,” Collins said.