“Over-policing” has contributed to racial tensions across the country and taught too Americans to view police officers as the only agents of the government in their communities, a Democratic Senate candidate said Sunday.
Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Rep. Donna Edwards said the recent unrest in Baltimore exemplifies what can happen when police play too prominent a role.
“I would say there is over-policing going on, not just in Baltimore but really across this country, and it is something we have to evaluate as a matter of public policy,” said Ms. Edwards, Maryland Democrat.
“What it means is that if you have communities where the only face of government is law enforcement, it’s not investment in their schools, it’s not investment in their communities, in economic development, it’s law enforcement. And that’s not not the fault of police. That’s the fault of policymakers who are making decisions about where their priorities are,” she said.
Ms. Edwards is running to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Democrat.
Prosecutors in Baltimore on Friday charged six police officers with felonies, including murder, in connection with the death of a 25-year-old black man who sustained fatal injuries in their custody. Outrage over Freddie Gray’s death sparked protests and riots across the city last week.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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