US police group issues historic apology to minorities

NEW YORK (AA) – The U.S.’s largest police organization on Monday issued an apology to the country’s minority populations for the mistreatment they have historically suffered.

Terrence M. Cunningham, head of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IAPC) told a convention in San Diego that the history of policing has “darker periods”, according to the Washington Post.

“Events over the past several years have caused many to question the actions of our officers and has tragically undermined the trust that the public must and should have in their police departments,” he said to the IACP, which counts 23,000 police officials nationwide as members.

“While we obviously cannot change the past, it is clear that we must change the future,” he said. “For our part, the first step is for law enforcement and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color.”

Race bias in policing has been a lingering issue in the United States. Statistics show that a disproportionate number of blacks face use of force and eventual death at the hands of law enforcement officials.