police reform Archives - The Virginia Star

Police Recruiting Plummets While Crime Surges in Major U.S. Cities

May 21, 2021May 20, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Some police departments are having a hard time recruiting potential officers as others gear up for what could be another summer of civil unrest.

Demonstrations criticizing officer’s use of force and demanding general police reform last year hurt departments’ recruitment efforts leading to widespread strain, Axios reported Wednesday. Other departments in urban areas are preparing for what could be a summer of violent crime as COVID-19 restrictions ease, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Virginia Mandates Police Receive Anti-Racism Training, Bans No Knock Warrants

October 31, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed over a dozen police reforms into law, including mandated anti-racism training for law enforcement and a ban on no-knock warrants.

Senate Bill 5030, which was passed Wednesday, “creates statewide minimum training standards” on “awareness of racism” and “biased profiling,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. The ordinance makes the Commonwealth the third state in the nation to ban no-knock raids, and the legislation also forbids local departments from acquiring “grenades, weaponized aircraft and high caliber rifles” in an effort to demilitarize, Northam’s team wrote.

Legislation Allowing Localities to Establish Law Enforcement Civilian Review Boards Heads to Governor’s Desk

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Compromised legislation that gives localities the authority to establish law enforcement civilian review boards (CRB) successfully passed final votes in the Senate and House of Delegates Wednesday afternoon, and now goes to the governor’s desk for final approval.

Joint conference committee reports for Senate Bill 5035 passed the Senate (21-Y 17-N) and for House Bill 5055 passed the House (53-Y 35-N), mostly along the party lines of both chambers.

Senate Lawmakers Send Numerous Bills to Joint Conference Committees with House

October 8, 2020October 7, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The Senate sent a number of bills to be considered by joint conference committees, and appointed conferees to join their colleagues in the House of Delegates to consider legislation on Wednesday.

Three or four Senators and Delegates are assigned to different conference committees and must try to agree on compromised language for similar bills from each body or the legislation will die. If compromised versions are agreed upon, those bills will go back to the House and Senate for a final passage vote.

Virginia House Passes $134B Budget with Rental and Utility Assistance, Justice and Police Reform Funding

October 1, 2020September 30, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The Virginia House of Delegates passed its two-year $134 billion budget on Tuesday with specific funding for rental and utility assistance, public education, internet access, affordable housing, criminal justice and police reform.

The revised budget from the House does not perfectly lineup with the proposed budget Governor Ralph Northam presented to the General Assembly at the beginning of the 2020 special session.

Gade Abandons Trump on Key Immigration Policy in First Debate U.S. Senate with Warner

September 24, 2020September 23, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Republican challenger Daniel Gade appeared virtually on NBC4 for their first debate. NBC News’ Chuck Todd moderated the debate from Washington, D.C. with a live Zoom audience.
Topics included the Supreme Court nominations, COVID-19, the digital divide, policing, racial justice, immigration, and the election.

Dangerous Police Reform Bills Keep Moving In VA House

September 22, 2020September 22, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The House Committee on Public Safety conformed multiple bills from the Senate relating to police reform on Monday as the 2020 special session enters its fifth week.

Legislation is conformed when there are two similar bills that have both come out of the House and Senate, and are being considered by committees of the other legislative body.

Senate Passes Two Parole Board Bills, Advances More Policing Reforms

September 10, 2020September 9, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The Senate on Wednesday passed two bills relating to the parole board and continued to advance more policing legislation.

The first bill on the Virginia Parole Board, introduced by Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Rockingham County), aims to provide the public with more transparency on the decisions made by requiring monthly reports on the inmates released and providing the felonies the prisoner was serving time for, among others.

Common Ground: Democrat Justin Fairfax Talks Solutions for COVID, Criminal Justice and Police Reform

August 21, 2020August 20, 2020 Julie Carr

Thursday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host Fredericks welcomed Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax to discuss special session reform priorities.

Joe Biden Supports Redirecting Money from Police Departments into Mental Health Care Services and Affordable Housing

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 Julie Carr

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told NowThis’ Ady Barkan that he supports redirecting money from police departments into other areas such as mental health care and affordable housing.

President Trump Signs Executive Order on Police Reform

June 17, 2020June 16, 2020 The Associated Press

Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on policing Tuesday that he said would encourage better police practices and establish a database to keep track of officers with a history of excessive use-of-force complaints.

In Rose Garden remarks, Trump stressed the need for higher standards and commiserated with mourning families, even as he hailed the vast majority of officers as selfless public servants and held his law-and-order line.