Washington, D.C. -Yesterday, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation to discuss the need for Congress to hold hearings on recent cases in which African Americans have been killed by police.
Referencing a letter he sent to three Republican chairmen along with Rep. John Conyers Jr., Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Cummings called on police and community leaders to work together to solve problems.
“What we have to make folks realize is that we-police realize-it’s not an ‘us against them.’ And the community must realize it’s not an ‘us against them.’ It’s us working together. And so trust has to be established," said Cummings.
“The police have to understand that they need the community and the community needs them. I practiced law for years, criminal law, for years. I can tell you, Bob, you’re not going to solve crime without the cooperation of the community. And so we have got to show that it’s a win-win situation," said Cummings. “It’s not about moving to common ground. We’re beyond that. We have got to move to higher ground, because this has got to be a win-win for everybody.
See the full interview here:
* Correction: Referencing a recent case study of at least 400 police killings, Cummings stating inadvertently that African Americans made up 96 percent of victims in these cases instead of 96 individuals.
