Police officers too often 'scapegoated' for problems in society, Obama says

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/27/police-officers-too-often-scapegoated-problems-society-obama-says/74662192/

President Obama told a gathering of police chiefs in Chicago Tuesday that they can reduce violent crime while also being more sensitive to minority communities.

"I reject any narrative that seeks to divide police and communities that they serve. I reject a storyline that says when it comes to public safety there's an 'us' and a 'them' — a narrative that too often gets served up to us by news stations seeking ratings, or tweets seeking retweets, or political candidates seeking some attention," Obama told the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Obama said police officers have helped make America safer, "and that's something for which every American should be proud." But he also called for "a serious and robust debate over fairness in law enforcement, over our broader criminal justice system when it comes particularly to communities of color."

POLICING THE USA

Policing the USA

Obama stopped in Chicago on a national tour to urge Congress to make changes in the criminal justice system. But he also addressed three of the most controversial topics in law enforcement: police use of force in minority communities, the spiking violence in some urban areas, and the mass shootings that have triggered renewed calls for gun control efforts.

Those debates have put Obama on a tightrope as he's defended the "Black Lives Matter" movement while also encouraging police to continue to attack violent crime.

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In his speech to police, Obama said that police officers "want to do the right thing."

"Too often, law enforcement gets scapegoated for the broader failures of our society and criminal justice system. I know that you do your jobs with distinction no matter the challenges you face. That's part of wearing the badge," he said.

Obama also called on Congress to pass gun safety measures, noting that more than 400,000 Americans have been killed in gun violence since 2001. "That's like losing the entire population of Cleveland or Minneapolis over the past 14 years," he said. And 32 police officers have been shot and killed just this year, he said.

"I know we won't all agree on this issue. But it's time to be honest. Fewer gun safety laws don't mean more freedom, they mean more fallen officers," he said.