As massive waves of protesters in communities across the U.S. call for fundamental changes in American policing, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter told Cheddar the nation must find a balance between good policing and civilian safety.

“Black people, and just about everyone else I think, want some kind of law enforcement, keepers of the pace, in their community,” he said. “People want to be safe, but they don’t want to be abused while they’re being supposedly made safe.”

The death of George Floyd at the hands of police kicked off a movement that continues to gain traction. Lawmakers in some major U.S. cities, including New York Los Angeles and Minneapolis, are discussing plans to reallocate portions of police funding to go to programs that improve community relations and quality of life ⁠— an idea Nutter supports.

“Budgets should be scrupulously reviewed,” he said. “They should be scrutinized first by, in many instances, the mayor putting it forward in any city and certainly the city council…should go through that budget.”

As a two-term black mayor, Nutter has a rare perspective on maintaining community and police relations amid tragic killings. He said both sides of the issue are equally as difficult to address. Nutter said he made efforts at community reconciliation by addressing community members to help them understand the dangers of policing as well as helping officers understand that civilians “want to be treated like you would treat a family member.” 

Still, Nutter hopes Floyd’s death, while devastatingly tragic, comes with reinforcing change.

“His legacy very well could be a significant, if not massive, change in policing in the United States of America and possibly other parts of the world,” he said.

Nutter echoed a familiar message in cities with embattled police departments: community and law enforcement relations can move forward once the people see real change.

Share:
More In Culture
Creator Economy Booms as Platforms Launch Monetization Tools and Perks
The pandemic has supercharged the creator economy, and there are no signs of it slowing down no matter when the pandemic officially ends. Creators prove to be a key factor in driving purchasing decisions and retail sales, and an increasing amount of platforms are taking advantage of the social influence. Karissa Bell, senior editor at Engadget, joins cheddar news to discuss the creator economy boom.
Tesla's 2021 Year in Review
The E-V maker Tesla has had a wild year. The company managed to continue to dominate the U.S. electric vehicle space despite growing competition and production delays. As the end comes to an end, Tesla finds itself growing richer and richer. Author of Risk Ritual Newsletter Richard Smith, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Andreessen Horowitz Co-Founder Marc Andreesseen Clash Over Web3
Venture capitalists and CEOs are clashing over the future of the internet. Web3 is the tech world's name for a decentralized, blockchain-based internet that runs on cryptocurrency. It was recently the topic of a tweet from Block CEO and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey who wrote that Web3 will not actually be owned by users, and instead be controlled by rich venture capitalists. Dorsey later shared that he was blocked on Twitter by Marc Andreesen, co-founder of VC firm Andreesen Horowitz, which has invested billions of dollars into Web3 and crypto projects. Correspondent for DealBook from the New York Times, Ephrat Livni, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what this could mean for the future of Web3.
Gas Prices to Rise in 2022 amid Soaring Demand, Omicron Spread
Prices at the pump this year reached a seven-year high, and a new forecast from GasBuddy shared with CNN predicts that gas prices will only continue to rise in 2022 and that the national average could even reach $4.00 a gallon; however, analysts at GasBuddy say anything could happen when it comes to gas prices in the future, as the pandemic has made it difficult to make any predictions about the economy. Consumer Energy Alliance federal policy advisor Michael Zehr joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More