Wichita police chief appointed to Trump law enforcement commission
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is one of 18 people appointed to President Trump’s new law enforcement commission.
On Wednesday, Ramsay was sworn in by U.S. Attorney General William Barr during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Barr appointed the members of the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice following an Oct. 28 executive order from Trump. The Commission will meet monthly for the next year to explore issues affecting law enforcement, including the best approaches to lowering violent crime.
“There is no more noble and important profession than law enforcement. A free and safe society requires a trusted and capable police force to safeguard our rights to life and liberty,” Barr said in a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. “But as criminal threats and social conditions have changed the responsibilities and roles of police officers, there is a need for a modern study of how law enforcement can best protect and serve American communities. This is why the President instructed me to establish this critical Commission, whose members truly reflect the best there is in law enforcement.
“Together, we will examine, discuss, and debate how justice is administered in the United States and uncover opportunities for progress, improvement, and innovation.”
The executive order outlines 13 main objectives for the commission to explore. The objectives include the effectiveness of federal grants for law enforcement, health and wellness of officers, challenges in law enforcement pertaining to mental illness, homelessness and substance abuse, prosecutors refusing to enforce laws, promoting confidence and respect for law enforcement, effects of technological innovations in law enforcement and the criminal justice system, and recruitment and retention of law enforcement.
After one year, the commission will report its findings to Barr, who will then submit a final report to Trump.
Along with Ramsay, the members of the commission include the director of the U.S. Marshals Service, the deputy director of the FBI, the acting director of the ATF, the Florida attorney general and five other local law enforcement officers.
“It is an honor to have been chosen to serve on this Presidential Commission,” Ramsay said in a news release from the Wichita Police Department. “I am looking forward to working with the other chosen criminal justice experts in examining how to effectively reduce crime and addressing social factors that contribute to crime. My goal is to not only help nationwide but also to bring the ideas back to Wichita and make it a safer community.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 4:47 PM.