New York, NY — In a strongly worded statement released this week, Blacks in Law Enforcement of America is calling out a growing crisis of accountability among Black elected officials, demanding immediate and unapologetic action to confront police violence in Black communities.
Read Statement from Blacks in Law Enforcement of America
The organization, composed of current and former Black law enforcement officers, issued the public rebuke in response to what it describes as ongoing failures by Black mayors, council members, state legislators, and attorneys general to implement meaningful structural reform—even in cities they control.
“We cannot continue to ignore that even with Black leadership at every level of government, the killings, beatings, and daily violations of Black people’s rights by law enforcement continue,” said Damon K. Jones, New York Representative for Blacks in Law Enforcement of America. “If we have the power, then we have the responsibility—and if we’re not going to use it to protect our people, then we are part of the problem.”
The group’s statement highlights major U.S. cities with Black leadership—New Orleans, Baltimore, Louisville, and Mount Vernon, New York—that have faced federal investigations or consent decrees over unconstitutional policing. Despite the presence of Black mayors, the Department of Justice had to intervene in each case due to local inaction.
“These cities aren’t just led by Democrats—they’re led by Black mayors,” Jones said. “And yet, the federal government had to step in to force accountability. That tells you local leadership wasn’t doing enough.”
The group also directly criticized Black state attorneys general who have declined to prosecute white police officers in high-profile shootings of unarmed Black men, including those suffering mental health crises.
“When those entrusted to uphold justice won’t even try, who do Black people turn to?” Jones asked. “When is it legal to shoot an unarmed man having a mental breakdown? It feels like the killing of Black men by police has become more American than apple pie.”
In perhaps the most pointed portion of the statement, Jones drew a sharp comparison to how other communities respond to violence against their own.
“If antisemitism were rampant under a Jewish mayor, it would be shut down with the full force of political, legal, financial, and cultural power,” Jones said. “It would not be tolerated, and any system or actor that allowed it to persist would be dismantled. The response would be swift, unapologetic, and absolute. So why is anti-Black state violence still tolerated—and even managed—by Black mayors?”
The statement also denounced the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) for not having a clear, written platform to address systemic police violence. The organization pointed out that AAMA’s policy agenda lacks any reference to abolishing qualified immunity, prosecuting police misconduct, restructuring violent departments, or creating systems of civilian and community control.
“They talk about public safety, but they don’t say how they’ll make our communities safe from the police,” said Jones. “We’re tired of symbolism. We need substance.”
With the federal government under a second Trump administration and increasingly deferring public safety to states, the group emphasized that local and state Black officials now hold more power than ever to enact reforms—but continue to fall short.
“Black leaders can’t keep pointing fingers at Washington,” Jones added. “The power is in their hands now. If they lack the will to use it, then they should step aside for those who will.”
The statement ends with a blunt call for courage in Black leadership and an end to performative politics.
“Black communities deserve more than symbolic representation. We deserve real protection. We deserve true justice. And we deserve leaders who are not just present—but prepared to lead.”
