<Rose Garden 12:16 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please. And thank you all for being here as we take historic action to deliver a future of safety and security for Americans of every race, religion, color, and creed. We’re joined today by law enforcement professionals and community leaders. Though we may all come from different places and different backgrounds, we’re united by our desire to ensure peace and dignity and equality for all Americans. I’ve just concluded a meeting with incredible families — just incredible families that have been through so much. The families of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Antwon Rose, Jemel Roberson, Atatiana Jefferson, Michael Dean, Darius Tarver, Cameron Lamb, and Everett Palmer. These are incredible people. Incredible people. And it’s so sad. Many of these families lost their loved ones in deadly interactions with police. To all of the hurting families, I want you to know that all Americans mourn by your side. Your loved ones will not have died in vain. We are one nation. We grieve together, and we heal together. I can never imagine your pain or the depth of your anguish, but I can promise to fight for justice for all of our people. And I gave a commitment to all of those families today with Senator Tim Scott and Attorney General Bill Barr. We are going to pursue what we said. We will be pursuing it, and we will be pursuing it strongly, Tim. Right? Okay? I want to recognize Attorney General Bill Barr, who’s spent so much time on this and others matters like this. Bill, thank you very much for being here. Along with — (applause) — great job you’re doing. Along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Tim Scott, and they’re going to be working on a Senate bill also that can go hand in hand with this. And also, Representatives Kelly Armstrong, Louie Gohmert, Jim Jordan, Guy Reschenthaler, and Pete Stauber. And thanks also to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody; the President of the Fraternal Order of Police Pat Yoes; President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Steven Casstevens; and many other law enforcement leaders who are going to be joining me at the signing. Today is about pursuing common sense and fighting — fighting for a cause like we seldom get the chance to fight for. We have to find common ground. But I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defend [defund], dismantle, and dissolve our police departments, especially now when we’ve achieved the lowest recorded crime rates in recent history. Americans know the truth: Without police, there is chaos; without law, there is anarchy; and without safety, there is catastrophe. We need leaders at every level of government who have the moral clarity to state these obvious facts. Americans believe we must support the brave men and women in blue who police our streets and keep us safe. Americans also believe we must improve accountability, increase transparency, and invest more resources in police training, recruiting, and community engagement. Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals, they are not mutually exclusive; they work together. They all work together. That is why today I’m signing an executive order encouraging police departments nationwide to adopt the highest professional standards to serve their communities. These standards will be as high and as strong as there is on Earth. The vast majority of police officers are selfless and courageous public servants. They are great men and women. When others run away from danger, police run straight into harm’s way, often putting their lives at stake to protect someone who they don’t know or never even met. Great danger. Police officers run straight toward this incredible harm. Take the World Trade Center: They ran straight into the Twin Towers of 9/11. Many of them never returned. Never returned. Vast numbers of New York’s Finest never returned. Last year, I presented the Medal of Valor to six heroic police officers who ended a murderous rampage so professionally in Dayton, Ohio. Hundreds of people would have been killed, surely, without them. We ask our police to put on the uniform and risk their lives for us every day. The least we deserve and the least we can do — because they deserve it so much — they have to get our gratitude. And we have to give them great respect for what they do, for the job is one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth, one of the most difficult jobs on Earth. Last year alone, 89 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. In recent days, two members of law enforcement were killed amid riots and looting, and hundreds of police officers were injured just recently. One officer was shot in the head and is now laying in a hospital, almost totally paralyzed. Despite our very good record on crime, law and order must be further restored nationwide, and your federal government is ready, willing, and able to help, as we did in Minneapolis. After it got out of control for four days, I sent in representatives, commonly known as the National Guard, and it was all put down very quickly. We’re willing to help. We’re willing to help in Seattle. We’re willing to help anywhere you want, and we’ll be there very quickly. It won’t take long. There will be no more looting or arson, and the penalty will be very grave for those who get caught. Violence and destruction will not be tolerated. We cannot do that. The looters have no cause that they’re fighting for — just trouble. Every day, police officers make great sacrifices to keep our communities secure and safe. In 2018, our police arrested nearly 12,000 people for murder, 25,000 people for rape, and nearly 1.5 million for assault. Very dangerous criminals. In many cases, local law enforcement is underfunded, understaffed, and undersupported. Forty-seven percent of all murders in Chicago and sixty-eight percent of all murders in Baltimore went without arrests last year. Americans want law and order. They demand law and order. They may not say it, they may not be talking about it, but that’s what they want. Some of them don’t even know that’s what they want, but that’s what they want. And they understand that when you remove the police, you hurt those who have the least, the most. Nobody needs a strong, trustworthy police force more than those who live in distressed areas, and nobody is more opposed to the small number of bad police officers — and you have them. They’re a very tiny — I use the word “tiny.” It’s a very small percentage, but you have them. But nobody wants to get rid of them more than the overwhelming number of really good and great police officers. Some of them are standing with me and with me in the audience today, and I appreciate you being here. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Great job. What’s needed now is not more stoking of fear and division. We need to bring law enforcement and communities closer together, not to drive them apart. Under the executive order I’m signing today, we will prioritize federal grants from the Department of Justice to police departments that seek independent credentialing, certifying that they meet high standards and, in fact, in certain cases, the highest standard — that’s where they do the best — on the use of force and de-escalation training. For example, many believe that proper training might have prevented the tragic deaths of Antwon Rose and Botham Jean. As part of this new credentialing process, chokeholds will be banned, except if an officer’s life is at risk. And I will say, we’ve dealt with all of the various departments, and everybody said, “It’s time. We have to do it.” Additionally, we’re looking at new advanced and powerful less-lethal weapons to help prevent deadly interactions. New devices are being developed all the time, and we’re looking at the best of them. And cost is no object. No object.