Protect and Respect: Reforming Policing Without Weakening It

Sholdon Daniels is for safer communities.

Let’s say what needs to be said: We can back the badge and still demand better.

Every time a routine stop turns into a funeral, it chips away at the public’s trust. And in too many communities—especially communities of color—there’s deep fear, resentment, and trauma tied to law enforcement encounters.

But here’s what I believe: It doesn’t have to be that way.

If a soldier in a warzone can show restraint while taking fire, then a police officer on American soil should be able to take down a suspect without pulling the trigger unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Our cops have one of the toughest jobs in the country. They run toward danger. They deal with trauma daily. And most of them are doing their best in an impossible system.

But it’s the system that needs an upgrade—and that starts with training, culture, and community roots.

Here’s how we fix it:

1. Reduce the Number of Deadly Encounters—Period

Deadly force should be the last resort, not the first reaction.

I will push to:

• Nationalize de-escalation training standards, using successful models from military police and elite security forces.

• Invest in non-lethal takedown technology, such as sticky nets, foam guns, and bolawraps, and provide incentives to departments that use them effectively.

• Establish a Federal Safe Apprehension Fund, rewarding departments that reduce shootings and fatalities without reducing arrests.

You don’t have to handcuff police to hold them accountable.

You just have to raise the bar.

2. Recruit from the Communities Being Policed

When cops live in the neighborhoods they patrol, they protect their neighbors—not strangers.

When they’ve grown up on the same streets, gone to the same schools, and share the same culture, the job changes.

They become guardians, not gatekeepers.

That’s why I will:

• Support federal hiring grants for departments that recruit locally—especially in high-trust institutions like churches, junior colleges, and trade schools.

• Create fast-track academy scholarships for applicants from underserved zip codes who pass aptitude and fitness thresholds.

• Promote a National Cop-to-Community Mentorship Initiative, encouraging officers to coach youth sports, lead classroom visits, and host public safety days.

We don’t need more armored vehicles—we need more respect, relationships, and responsibility.

3. Train Officers to Be Mentors, Not Military Occupiers

Policing must move away from a “command-and-control” culture and toward a “serve-and-protect” mission.

That starts with training.

I’ll introduce:

• Federal police mentorship certification programs, which train officers in conflict resolution, youth mentorship, and trauma-informed engagement.

• A “No First Touch” policy standard, where officers are trained to use voice, space, and calm reinforcement before escalation.

• National peer support teams for officers struggling with burnout, PTSD, or repeated exposure to violence.

  
  

You can’t pour from an empty cup. We have to support our good officers so they can support our communities—not control them.

4. Protect the Reputation of Good Officers by Removing the Bad Ones

Bad policing makes good cops' jobs harder—and puts everyone at risk.

I will:

• Support a national decertification database, preventing fired officers from being quietly rehired elsewhere.

• Propose shared department liability, so municipalities are incentivized to weed out bad actors early.

• Strengthen whistleblower protections for officers who report corruption, brutality, or illegal orders.

You don’t build public trust by pretending problems don’t exist.

You build it by addressing them openly and effectively.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BUILT ON SERVICE, NOT SUPPRESSION

My vision is a future where:

• Police are respected because they’ve earned it.

• All communities feel protected, not merely patrolled.

• Officers are mentors, not just muscle.

• And deadly encounters become rare, not routine.

We don’t need to defund police—we need to redefine their role as peacekeepers, protectors, and neighbors.

If you believe we can have both safety and respect, order and justice—follow @SholdonDaniels on X and support our campaign to build the future of American law enforcement the right way.