Question: As an African-American, following the Diallo incident, I am deathly afraid of the police. What do you plan to do about police accountability for killing unarmed people?
Submitted from Van of Chesapeake, Virginia through MSNBC.com (10/09/00)
Answer from Al Gore:
An End To Racial Profiling
Van, I want you to know that I will work to bring about the day when no citizen has to fear...
...police officers in their own community. What happened to Amadou Diallo was a grave tragedy. Our entire nation was shocked and saddened by his killing. But I believe that most police serve with honor and do their job to serve and protect citizens in their communities.
But not even one incident of abuse or racial profiling can be tolerated, not only because it is unjust but also because the effectiveness of law enforcement depends on the trust of the community. I will increase scholarships and outreach to diversify the ranks of our criminal justice system and support professional development grants to train officers to prevent abuses.
My plans call for increasing the number of community police officers -- those law enforcement officers who help prevent crime by establishing real relationships with neighborhood residents. And I will fight to end the unfair practice of racial profiling. In fact, I will fight to ensure that a ban on racial profiling is the first civil rights act of the 21st Century.
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