After Donald Trump on Friday made remarks which seemed to encourage rougher treatment of people in police custody, several police departments across the country came out and distanced themselves from the president’s comments.
Speaking to law enforcement officers in Brentwood, New York, Trump said, “When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you see them thrown in rough. I said, ‘Please don’t be too nice.’ Like, don’t hit their head and they’ve just killed somebody. I said, ‘You can take the hand away, OK?'”
He added, “When you guys put somebody in the car and you’re protecting their head you know, the way you put their hand over [their head]. Like, ‘Don’t hit their head and they’ve just killed somebody, don’t hit their head.’ I said, ‘You can take the hand away, OK?'”
Pres. Trump on policing criminals: “When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon…I said: ‘Please don’t be too nice’” pic.twitter.com/QITgnG3upm
Shortly after the speech, the Suffolk County Police Department, whose jurisdiction is the county in which Trump spoke, came out against the remarks.
“The SCPD has strict rules & procedures relating to the handling of prisoners,” it tweeted. “Violations of those rules are treated extremely seriously.”
A subsequent tweet read, “As a department, we do not and will not tolerate roughing up of prisoners.”
The SCPD has strict rules & procedures relating to the handling of prisoners. Violations of those rules are treated extremely seriously.
Following the Suffolk County Police Department’s tweets, its counterparts across the country also took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Trump’s remarks, and to reiterate their policies for handling people in custody.
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