My Brother's Keeper Alliance
Demonstrators protest in response to the police killing of George Floyd on Saturday May 30, 2020 in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Christopher Dilts/Sipa USA)
Reimagine Policing
The Reimagining Policing Pledge is a call for mayors and local officials to review and reform use of force policies, redefine public safety, and combat systemic racism within law enforcement.
The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the loss of far too many Black lives to list, have left our nation anguished and outraged.
More than 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America, and Black people are three times more likely to be killed than White people. We can take steps and make reforms to combat police violence and systemic racism within law enforcement. Together, we can work to redefine public safety so that it recognizes the humanity and dignity of every person.
Local elected officials are uniquely positioned to introduce common-sense limits on police use of force. That’s why the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance is calling on local officials to commit to the following actions:
1. Review. Cities will review their police use-of-force policies and/or ways to redefine public safety and combat systemic racism within law enforcement.
2. Engage. Cities will engage with their communities and include diverse input, experiences, and stories in the process.
3. Report. After the review, cities will share the findings with their community and seek feedback.
4. Reform. Cities will change their use-of-force policies and strategize ways to redefine public safety and combat systemic racism within law enforcement.
Everyone can support this effort—and we hope that individuals across the country will take action to urge their local officials to take these steps for change.
If you are a community member, use your voice. Keep your commitment to change and justice and continue calling for truth-telling and accountability. Click here to review resources that we compiled to help you on your journey.
Demonstrators protest in response to the police killing of George Floyd on Saturday June 01, 2020 in Chicago, IL.
President Barack Obama delivers remarks to press pool after a meeting with members of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, March 2, 2015. (Official White House by Chuck Kennedy)
Demonstrators protest in response to the police killing of George Floyd on Saturday June 01, 2020 in Chicago, IL.
MBK Alliance Town Hall Series: Reimagining Policing: Spotlighting Reforms and Progress
On March 4th, The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance hosted Orlando, FL, Mayor Buddy Dyer; Ithaca, NY, Mayor Svante Myrick; Eugene, OR, Mayor Lucy Vinis and members of their local communities, in a conversation moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist, attorney, and co-host of ABC’s “The View” Sunny Hostin, to highlight progress made in communities across the country and the work that remains to build communities that are more safe and just for everyone. Click here to learn more about this workshop.
Over 300 communities—representing 13+ million Black people and including all of the 10 most populous U.S. cities—took our pledge to Reimagine Policing. This report shares highlights and next steps in building on that momentum. Get informed, get inspired, and take action today.
See the communities who took the pledge below. See the communities who took the pledge below. We will release an update of the cities that have responded and progress underway.
We are committed to supporting local officials and their teams through a series of workshops, focused on providing educational tools and analysis on the spectrum of policing and public safety options, alternative public safety models, and community-centered review processes.
Each workshop is supplemented with curated resource materials, information on organizations that can provide additional support, and an opportunity to engage in deeper discussions with local and national experts. We host these sessions with our partners, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (Opens in a new tab) and Cities United (Opens in a new tab).
Cities listed below signed onto the Reimagining Policing Pledge, which was formed to drive communities to engage in a public review of its policing policies and result in potential reform. The following list of pledged communities is for informational purposes, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, favoring, or partnership by the Obama Foundation.
This listing will be updated on a rolling basis. If your municipality is listed in error or your municipality is not listed here and your local official has taken the pledge—please let us know at reimaginepolicing@obama.org (Opens in a new tab).
Visit our Anguish and Action Resource page to learn more about police violence and systemic racism, and ways to encourage reform, from impactful local and national organizations.
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