Jersey City Ward B council hopeful Joel Brooks said that “Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict was a sign that a movement for justice would not be ignored” while reflecting on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict was a sign that a movement for justice would not be ignored. That when we talk about violence in the community, police violence must be included in that conversation. Everyone deserves to feel safe and live free from harm,” Brooks said in a statement.
“Yet, increased policing in working class neighborhoods does not equate to real public safety. In Jersey City, we are overdue for a reassessment of what working class people need, which is investments in quality public schools, affordable and quality housing, and union jobs with living wages. That is real public safety, not police who commit violence without accountability.”
George Floyd was killed on May 25th, 2020 after Chauvin, then a Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck for over nine minutes after he had been handcuffed and was face down on the ground.
His family has since settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the City of Minneapolis for $27 million and Chauvin was convicted on two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter on April 20th of this year, though he is expected to appeal.
The incident led to social justice marches across the country, almost all of which called for police reforms.
While President Joe Biden (D) had called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by today, but federal lawmakers had indicated it wouldn’t be ready in time, as The Hill reported.
If passed, the bill would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, on the federal level, banning racial profiling at all levels, creating a national police misconduct registry – among many other changes.
The non-partisan Jersey City municipal elections are on November 2nd.
