Transcript: Rep. Val Demings on “Face the Nation,” January 29, 2023

The following is a transcript of an interview with Democratic Rep. Val Demings of Florida that aired Sunday, January 29, 2023 on Face the Nation.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The day after video footage of Tyre Nichols’ fatal confrontation with police was made public, the Memphis Police Department shut down its SCORPION unit, a specialized group of five officers now facing charges of second-degree murder. To learn more, we now turn to former Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings, who spent 27 years with the Orlando Police Department, including four years as its chief. Nice to talk to you.

VAL DEMINGS: Margaret, thank you. It’s good to be with you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What was your reaction when you saw the video of these five officers beating up Tyre Nichols?

DEMINGS: You know how a man who spent 27 years in law enforcement, started out as a night shift patrol officer and served in all ranks, served as chief of police. I have seen the best of policing and the worst. But what I saw on the video was shocking and terrifying. Terrible beating. My heart goes out to the Wells-Nichols family and his community. You know, and I so appreciate the words of Mrs. Wells, when she not only spoke about the terrible death of her son, but also addressed the five officers involved, saying that you have dishonored yourself and your family. So, as a professional law enforcement officer, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It struck me that these five officers in Memphis were between 24 and 32 years old, and they were all hired within the last six years. Is it an experience issue? Is this a bad cop problem?

DEMINGS: You know, Margaret, it’s so important that we look at us as police chiefs, and you know, we don’t have much of an appetite. We know that now in Washington, DC, there is a need to develop national standards that I believe are so badly needed. I also asked what state legislatures are willing to go to. But now it’s up to police chiefs, wardens or sheriffs to make much-needed reforms that start with hiring the most capable and the best, with psychological assessment being part of that to ensure fitness for service. And look, I’m more than familiar with the specialized units. Many of these are the result of public appeals to officers in the fight against crime and, for example, drug trafficking and criminal activity, but we, as police leaders, must make sure that we involve the most experienced and experienced officers in this work. units that are well trained and under strict control. So when I look at the night that went off the rails in Memphis, there are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be answered.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But we’re hearing from mayors across the country that in many places they’re facing a shortage of cops, people willing to do the job, the mayor of New Orleans told us this last week. Now she has requested federal marshals and ATF agents in her city. But why is this such a problem?

DEMINGS: Well, you know, hiring law enforcement has always been difficult, and not necessarily because of a shortage of staff. But the effort is to make sure we hire people who have the right temperament to be able to get the job done. I remember in a year we had 40,000 people who wanted to be Orlando cops, and ended up hiring maybe 20 of those 40,000, trying every step of the way to make sure we were hiring the best person. to do this job. And so hiring has always been a challenge. But we, the leaders of the police, must also be creative, and not just wait for people to knock on that door. But reach out to different communities by visiting college campuses, making sure police departments continue to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. This is the time when we must use new and creative approaches to make sure we attract the right men and women. It really starts with hiring to make sure we get the right men and women to do the job.

MARGARET BRENNAN: How would you rate the Chief of Memphis Police who said that this unit, the SCORPION unit, did a good job?

DEMINGS: You know, I know CJ Davis. She is a professional law enforcement officer. Worked as deputy chief in Atlanta, chief of Durham. Now she is, of course, the chief in Memphis, and I think she handled this very tragic incident as well as she could. We all commented on the quick action with their dismissal, worked very closely with the DA to bring these allegations very quickly. She was also very transparent with the community. And boy, we need to see more of this. She was also president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Officers. She is very well trained. And I believe that even though this is one of the most difficult times in our country, she is the right leader to guide us through this very difficult time.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Interesting, because I, you know, I read an article in New York Magazine called “The End of Police Reform” and it indicated that changes were made in Memphis from 2020 in terms of mandatory de-escalation, banning chokeholds . There were body cameras, here it was not a deterrent. The police force is reported to be 60% black, with a black police chief. Even with these adjustments, this terrible situation occurred. So, when you hear calls for police reform, what is the reform, do you think it matters? Or is it just recruiting?

DEMINGS: Margaret, we called the police for police reform. Especially after the brutal death of George Floyd. Let me just say this: I was in Congress at the time George voted for George Floyd’s police justice bill, which we all know wasn’t perfect. But, my God, I’m sure it was an important step in the right direction. And I think that too many police leaders believe that any criticism of the police or any effort to reform or change recruitment standards, changed training standards will ensure that they have the technology they need to do their job better, calling for national bases. data and better law enforcement. Too many people see this because we don’t support the police. Well, that’s how I see it. Supporting the police, giving them the tools they need to get the job done, and holding them accountable. And so, yes, that’s the way it is – it’s not just hiring, but it starts with hiring when they’re in training, making sure we have the right field training officers who we know set the standard for what acceptable and unacceptable on the street. . An inside look at the policy and changing this policy of the use of force. Yes, body cameras, think if we didn’t have these shots, but this situation was so non-standard and non-standard. There is a lot of work to be done here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And I… I hear your passion. Thank you for sharing your analysis with us. We’ll be back soon.

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