Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, FACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON May 26, 2022 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) was encouraged to see the Executive Order issued by President Biden yesterday afternoon detailing reforms to be made to our nation’s police and law enforcement agencies. ACP strongly supports increased transparency and accountability around instances of law enforcement violence and safer, less discriminatory, and less forceful policing practices. Discriminatory and racist practices in law enforcement harm the physical heath, mental health, and well-being of individuals and the public. Those institutional and systemic practices that enable racism, discrimination, and violence also undermine those law enforcement officers who are dedicated to equal treatment under the law.
ACP had previously asked the administration to take action to eliminate the excessive use of force in law enforcement and to create a national database on law enforcement misconduct. We are glad to see those ideas included in the administration’s order, along with other policies that would mandate the use of body cameras, improve screening initiatives for hiring, and require officers to intervene in instances of excessive force and administer medical aid. We stand ready to work with the administration to move these policies forward and to implement additional policies that would make policing and law enforcement better able to maintain the safety and well-being of our communities.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org