There is no conflict between fully funding police departments and holding police accountable, White House press secretary Jen Psaki argued on Thursday.
President Joe Biden was en route to New York City to meet with Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain who ran on a promise to fight violent crime, when Psaki was asked if there is a conflict between civil rights groups asking for more accountability for police and the Biden administration’s actions to support law enforcement.
“We reject the notion that we are moving into any political direction,” Psaki said. “The president has a decadeslong record of being an advocate for fighting crime, supporting local cops programs with necessary and appropriate resources and funding. He has never been an advocate for defunding the police, as you know. But his record on these issues long proceeds his time as president.”
Several big cities moved to slash police budgets in the wake of 2020’s racial justice protests, but many are now moving to restore funding to law enforcement following a spike in violent crime.
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As part of that countermovement, Biden is launching a slate of new actions Thursday aimed at combating rising crime and gun violence in major metropolitan areas across the country. White House officials said Thursday’s new actions will make progress on Biden’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun violence, which he released last June.
The president believes crime prevention and accountable police departments go hand in hand, Psaki said, adding that pursuing police reform can help keep everyone safe.
“[Biden] also remains very committed to taking the steps we can to put in place police reform measures that he thinks are long overdue,” Psaki said. “Obviously, his preference would be to do that through the legislative process, but we are looking at what can be done through executive actions.”
Psaki was later asked why Biden won’t be visiting Rikers Island, the notorious jail complex that a group of public defenders had asked the president to visit as part of his trip.
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“This trip today, which is a full trip, includes the president visiting to thank law enforcement officials and convey clearly to them that he has their back,” Psaki said. “But I’d expect he’ll be back to New York during his time as president, but I don’t have any preview of a trip to Rikers Island.”
