A progressive-backed bill to mandate cultural and sensitivity training for police recruits is being panned by House Republican lawmakers who are former officers themselves.
"It is imperative that law enforcement officers are well-trained on agency policy and procedures and held to the highest standards that keep both officers and the public safe," Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., a former sheriff and 40-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, told Fox News Digital.
"However, it is not the role of Congress, nor should it be, to tell local agencies what that training should look like."
The legislation would require people enrolled at police-training academies "to receive sensitivity training on ethics and racial bias, cultural diversity, and police interaction with . . . people with disabilities, those in a mental health crisis, and new immigrants," according to the press release.
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It would also require independent probes and prosecutions of officers accused of using deadly force.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., earlier this month, on the heels of the police killing of Sonya Massey in Illinois, a Black woman who was shot by a police deputy in her home after calling 911 about a suspected prowler. The deputy was fired and recently pleaded not guilty to charges, including first-degree murder.
Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., accused Democrats of trying to advance a "defund the police" agenda rather than being interested in serious reform.
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"Even after the failures of their extreme ‘Defund the Police’ movement, radical Democrats continue to demonize the brave men and women who protect and serve their communities. These anti-cop politicians don’t want real reform, they want to eradicate law enforcement altogether, and proposals like this continue to incite violence against them," Stauber told Fox News Digital.
Another former sheriff, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., called the bill "another dangerously ridiculous bad idea from the woke left."
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Rutherford explained, "I oppose any effort to nationalize our law enforcement agencies, which is exactly what Rep. Cohen's bill does."
"Public safety depends on a diverse network of law enforcement agencies at the state and local levels. This bill would tie the hands of local and state police agencies and require them to meet national standards overseen by presidential appointees and bureaucrats in Washington," he said.
Cohen's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
