Presidential Candidate De La Fuente Pledges More Funding for Police to Assist With Training for Diversity and Alternatives to Deadly Force

PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alliance Party of Maine presidential candidate Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente today announced his plan to provide additional funding for the nation’s police forces to develop training programs in diversity and inclusion and also to help them identify appropriate policy alternatives to the use of deadly force.

“I reject the idea of defunding police departments, and in fact will work to increase funding for this important training. I believe the majority in the policing profession do not deliberately, intentionally or routinely discriminate against citizens based on race or national origin,” said De La Fuente, the son of Mexican immigrants. “Nor does the majority immediately prefer to apply deadly force during an arrest gone bad or in a non-life-threatening situation. Some do, however, and that’s why this training plan is so needed.”

The details, scope and application methods of the training programs will be determined by a task force De La Fuente will create in cooperation with the National Association of Chiefs of Police.

REDUCING POLICE OFFICER DEATH IN LINE OF DUTY

Noting that approximately 200 police officers are killed in the line of duty annually, research by the Rand Corporation showed that robust community relations programs – especially those that have de-escalation components on both sides – could reduce the police line-of-duty death rate by 50%.

De La Fuente’s plan would also fund the development and training of community groups composed of clergy, educators, business executives, healthcare providers, counselors, attorneys, judges and first responders who will learn how to work together to support community and police programs focused on reducing violence between police and citizens.

“We must not be naïve and forget there are bad actors out there who provoke and taunt police, escalating the probability of a violent encounter, and that threats of deadly violence must be met with deadly force,” said De La Fuente, a lifelong businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist now in his second bid for the presidency. “What I am proposing is full funding for a solution that looks at both sides of this very complex equation in order to make our communities safer for residents and police alike.”