Lawrence Hamm, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and chairman of the People’s Organization For Progress (POP), commemorated the anniversary of George Floyd’s death on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Ave, Newark, NJ.
The candidate addressed the ongoing issue of police brutality in the United States.
Hamm, who is running a grassroots campaign against Congressman Andy Kim, aims to highlight the persistence of police violence since Floyd’s death in 2020.
“We are having this press conference to point out that since the death of George Floyd, police brutality has continued to rise, and that it must stop,” Hamm said.
Since its founding 42 years ago, POP has been dedicated to addressing racial and social justice issues, including police brutality. Hamm, the organization’s chairman since its inception, emphasized the lack of progress in passing meaningful police reform legislation.
“A lot of bills dealing with the issue of police brutality were introduced in city councils, state legislatures, and Congress. However, over the past four years, relatively few of them have actually become law,” he said. “In fact, they have gotten worse.”
Citing data from the past year, Hamm noted, “Last year, the police in the United States killed 1,232 people, more than in any year since they started keeping statistics on this problem.” He stressed the need for urgent action to prevent further unnecessary and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers.
Hamm also referenced several victims of police brutality, including Carl Dorsey, Najee Seabrooks, Bernard Placide, Andrew Washington, Major Gulia Dale III, and U.S. Airman Roger Fortson, to underscore the personal and societal impact of these incidents.
“Action must be taken now on the issue of police brutality, or the problem will only continue to grow worse,” said Hamm.
Hamm criticized Congressman Kim for supporting increased funding for local police departments without adequate accountability measures, specifically referencing Kim’s vote for the Invest to Protect Act of 2022.
This bill, sponsored by corporate Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer, aimed to provide grants to small police departments for equipment and recruitment but faced opposition for lacking provisions on police accountability.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib expressed concerns about the bill, emphasizing the need for comprehensive public safety measures that go beyond traditional policing.
“Unfortunately, instead of acting to actually make communities safer and bring true public safety, a bill that would not hold police departments accountable for abuses of power was moved to the House floor without input from communities impacted directly,” Tlaib said.
The People’s Organization For Progress supports federal legislation such as the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act and the Breathe Act, as well as New Jersey state Assembly bill A-3441, permitting municipalities to establish police review boards with subpoena powers.
The event included activists and family members of police brutality victims, advocating for justice and accountability.
Hamm said, “I am going to vote ‘Uncommitted’ for president in the June 4th New Jersey Democratic Primary Election to protest the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, and I am going to urge New Jersey voters to do the same.”
For more information, contact the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) at 973-801-0001.
“We want justice for the victims of police brutality. Officers that have unjustifiably killed and hurt people must be held accountable and prosecuted,” Hamm said.