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Central Texas leaders react to President Trump's executive order aimed at police practices

Posted at 6:14 PM, Jun 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-16 21:33:30-04

An executive order signed by President Trump Tuesday hopes to lower the volume of protests against police to more productive tones.​ Central Texas leaders had lots to say about it.​

President Trump's executive order on law enforcement covers more than just policing. It covers homelessness, education and community, but it’s his initiatives for police getting the most attention.​

He touted it as safety and security for all. President Trump's wide-ranging police reform order bans the most controversial move in the police playbook.​

"Chokeholds will be banned except if an officer's life is at risk," said the president.​

The government will give more money to departments adopting new, tougher certification standards.​ It will also spend more money on new kinds of non-lethal weapons and create a database of so-called "problem officers" who hop from job to job after making critical mistakes, a move hailed by Hewitt Police Chief Jim Devlin.​

"It just may be that their idea of law enforcement isn't conducive to what the agency or community's expectation is," said Chief Devlin in an earlier interview about the job-hopping officers.​

While Lovie Langston of the Waco NAACP approved of the community aspects in the order, he found the police changes lacking.​

"Well, to me, the specifics were not there. I wanted to see more specifics," he said.​

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara heard some things he liked.​

"Well, I think most of his ideas are very good. I think he puts a lot of thought in 'em," said Sheriff McNamara.​

The sheriff says good law officers were appalled by the recent brutality cases.​

"Nobody likes police brutality, and I don't know any police officers who pick up a badge and a gun and go to work every day with a desire to hurt somebody or shoot somebody," said the sheriff.​

That, and many of the peaceful protests taking place, gives Lovie Langston hope.​

"So I'm hopeful for positive change. I really am," he said.​

While some question if President Trump has authority to change orders largely approved by local governments, many they’re glad he took some sort of action.​