Republican leaders in the Ohio House are proposing a list of reforms to the law enforcement system, with changes that include more training, stronger disciplinary measures and possible pay increases for police officers.
Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) says his 15-point plan is an effort to protect good police officers by "getting rid" of the bad ones.
The plan includes creating more checks and balances in the disciplinary process, mandatory psychological testing and developing a statewide disciplinary database.
"Where we eliminate officer hopping. When a bad officer gets in trouble, he may get fired, he just jumps to another department. We need to eliminate jumping from department to department," Plummer says.
Plummer, a former Montgomery County sheriff, also mentions possible pay increases, saying police should be properly paid so they're not overworked with multiple jobs.
Plummer is expected to unveil more details on his proposal with Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) on Thursday.
The call for reforms comes after thousands of people protested in cities and towns around Ohio, demonstrators called for justice and equality following the death of George Floyd who died under police custody in Minneapolis.
House Democrats are also calling for pieces of legislation that would create police reforms.
The House Democratic Caucus released a list of bills lawmakers are considering to address police and civil justice reform, such as "demilitarizing the police," prohibiting the use of arrest or citation quotas, prohibiting the use of tear gas, and independent investigations of officer misconduct.
