Why Candidates and Elected Officials Should Pledge Not To Take Money from Law Enforcement
People are awakening to the truth that police in the United States hold too much power. Law enforcement unions have long been in staunch opposition of meaningful criminal legal reform. Their political influence, especially at the state and local levels, is a well-known impediment to even the most mundane progress.
The only way to remedy this is to consciously fight to decrease both their power and their footprint. Demands of the recent uprisings have included widespread calls to defund the police — specifically, to divest from law enforcement agencies and to invest in community well-being and public safety solutions. These proposals are often demanded on the path towards abolition.
There is a leading role for candidates and elected officials in divesting law enforcement of their power, and that role is to reject campaign contributions from law enforcement loudly and openly.
The precedent for this already exists. Candidates across the country have taken a moral stand and pledged not to accept certain financial contributions. The Sunrise Movement’s No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge has had over 2,000 signatories since 2017. Democratic candidates have also pledged to not take corporate PAC money or donations from lobbyists. Other pledges have included no PACs, period.
A pledge like this is not only possible, but necessary. And in recent days, led by college activist Aaron Fernando, it has gained some momentum. At least seven New York Democratic politicians have recently pledged to redirect monies from police and corrections PACs, to other organizations working in on-the-ground capacity in response to police violence. But this pledge should be taken wider.
And how can candidates take this pledge? It is simple: by pledging not to accept campaign contributions from police and corrections PACs, and to reroute any presently accepted funds to other community organizations. If candidates wish to go even further, acknowledging varied political contexts at the state and local levels, they can pledge to not take contributions over $50 (or another nominal amount) from law enforcement executives and lobbyists.
On June 1, 2020, we saw demonstrations in response to police violence in all 50 states across the country. There is momentum for justice across the country, and candidates and elected officials should rise to meet the moment and take the pledge.
