AG Barr: Funding police departments is just as important as rebuilding trust with minority communities

The Attorney General was in Columbia Wednesday to talk with faith leaders and officers

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) —United States Attorney General William Barr says reform is needed to mend the relationship between law enforcement and the African American community.

The Attorney General was in Columbia Wednesday morning to talk with community leaders and officers about changes they’d like to see.

After talking with community leaders and law enforcement, Attorney General Bill Barr says he’s in favor of finding ways to rebuild police departments from within, but also finding a balance between law enforcement reform and rebuilding relationships with minority communities. 

“We need to support the police, so they’re out there protecting the community but at the same time we need to be sure that there aren’t these abuses, and it’s striking a balance, it’s not defunding the police, or doing away with the police or demonizing the police,” Barr said.

The Attorney General says he’s in favor of having all officers wearing body cameras and hiring more social workers for those departments, but not defunding or disbanding departments.

He said another key area to address is racial profiling, which he says could be a big step in rebuilding trust with law enforcement agencies.

“Beyond the shooting of individuals, there’s this problem of profiling and treating people as suspects before you treat them as citizens,” Barr said.

Some of these elements are featured in Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)’s JUSTICE Act, which is currently being blocked by Senate Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says the bill needs “large-scale and fundamental change”, but Senator Scott says he’s confident recent conversations will lead to more bipartisan support.

“If we can find a way to thread the needle on both sides that we can make the cities and departments more responsible for the culture they create, Katie bar the door so to speak, we’re moving forward,” said Sen. Scott. 

Ray Lattimore, CEO of Marketing Staffing Services in Greenville, attended the meeting Wednesday morning, telling ABC Columbia that he’s optimistic large-scale changes could be made both across the country and right here in South Carolina, and these conversations are a great start. 

“I am very hopeful that is the start of a dialogue right here in the state of South Carolina, the capitol, Columbia, South Carolina, that we can take this forward to the next level,” Lattimore said. 

Attorney General Barr and Sen. Scott held two meetings at Bethel AME Church in Columbia Wednesday, one with about 30 community and faith leaders, and another with a similar number of law enforcement officers.