Nichols Announces March for Reform Initiative

Legislation Would Increase Transparency, Accountability for Policing

OKLAHOMA CITY — State Rep. Monroe Nichols (D-Tulsa) today unveiled an initiative to increase transparency and accountability of policing practices in Oklahoma communities.

The March for Reforms Initiative offers legislative solutions to problems regarding a lack of independent investigations, citizen oversight, and critical incident accountability. The legislative solutions include the creation of the Office of Independent Monitor within the State Attorney General’s Office, and the creations of the Oklahoma State Law Enforcement Standards and Training Taskforce.

“My father was a police officer, my uncle is a current police officer, this package is not an attack on law enforcement,” Nichols said. “I hope that these reforms will instead serve as a check on the profession, just like we have checks and balances at the capitol. These are critical steps that I believe will enhance officer and citizen safety. As we move through the interim, my goal is to spend time with law enforcement and citizens to work on these reforms. There is no reason the community and law enforcement can’t come together to get this done.”

Nichols, who has been supportive of peaceful protests after the death of George Floyd, wants to turn the energy from the protests into something productive at the Capitol.

“Our job is to listen to the voice of the people,” Nichols said. “The people have spoken, they want a new normal. They want accountability. They want their faith restored in law enforcement. This is reflective of the steps we must take to restore that faith. It is our duty as lawmakers to rise to this moment and implement policy changes that ensure that the heartache, the pain, and the death of George Floyd, of Terrence Crutcher, of Breonna Taylor and the other innocent lives taken from us is not in vain.

“The March for Reform Initiative isn’t about ‘us vs them.’ This initiative is about moving forward together.”