Transcript: U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida on

The next is a transcript of an interview with U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida that aired on Sunday, Might 29, 2022, on “Face the Nation.”  The complete interview transcript may be discovered beneath.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll go now to Orlando, Florida and Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings. Earlier than serving in Congress, she was the chief of police for Orlando. Congresswoman, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. 

REPRESENTATIVE VAL DEMINGS: It is nice to be with you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: As a former police chief, what’s the single piece of- of laws that you just assume can be handiest proper now?

REP. DEMINGS: Nicely, Margaret, look, 27 years on the police division, served because the chief of police, our major duty was the security of the folks that we served. And I consider that now we have a direct obligation- I can’t like I am positive, hundreds of thousands of Individuals throughout the nation- can’t get the faces of these survivors from the classroom in Uvalde. We now have a direct obligation to maneuver ahead to guarantee that they’re secure. I consider proper now, if america Senate, as a result of the Home has accomplished their job, I consider proper now, if the Senate would have a look at passing the background examine regulation, as- in addition to taking a look at purple flags. Proper right here in Florida, now we have nearly 6,000 circumstances the place purple flag legal guidelines have made a distinction, no less than in accordance with regulation enforcement and different folks concerned in these circumstances. And now we have a direct obligation to do what we will after we can. And I consider that these are two items of laws which have overwhelming public assist. We will get it accomplished if the Senate has the political will to do it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you assume there must be extra federal cash to shore up safety at colleges, The White Home says they’ve already helped to push about 10 billion out to states for public security.

REP. DEMINGS: I believe we additionally ought to have a look at faculty security daily. I believe there ought to all the time be an evaluation. As expertise has modified, we have to use the most effective, probably the most state-of-the-art expertise. However Margaret, our youngsters aren’t in class 24 hours a day. So actually, let’s make certain we make our colleges safe. Let’s make certain we attempt to get rid of the human error issue. However what about church buildings? What about synagogues? What about grocery shops? What about film theaters? We have to do a job of conserving weapons out of the arms of harmful folks. There once more, the Senate can take motion on that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I’ll ask you about this response in Texas as a result of other than the shooter, now there’s this probe of what the police did with their response that day. You already know, after the bloodbath in Parkland, the college officer who was assigned to guard these youngsters was later charged with felony negligence for his inaction. Given what we have discovered about what occurred in Texas, ought to we anticipate the identical there?

REP. DEMINGS: Nicely, what we should demand is a radical and full investigation. Margaret, I served as a regulation enforcement officer pre-Columbine. I served as a regulation enforcement officer post-Columbine. Pre-Columbine, we might reply to an energetic shooter state of affairs, we might safe the perimeter, after which we might anticipate the disaster negotiators and the SWAT group. I served as a disaster negotiator for 12 years. Everyone knows post-Columbine, there isn’t a time to waste, that the officers on that scene are anticipated to enter these energetic shooter conditions. We educated on it on the Orlando Police Division and each sworn member together with the chief of police went by way of the energetic shooter coaching. So clearly, that didn’t occur. The opposite necessary factor, these early minutes after the capturing, we all know that there is a demand for an increasing number of data, however the data that we give, particularly after we say an SRO, faculty useful resource officer, went in and principally engaged a suspect and ammunition or- or bullets have been fired, and that is not true, the communications, now we have to guarantee that it’s as clear and as correct as doable. So there’s loads of work to do there. We now have actually extra questions than solutions, and I do know that we’re gonna unravel it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Ought to there be some type of federal probe or some type of faculty capturing security board on the federal stage, or is that this all as much as Texas State Police?

REP. DEMINGS: Nicely, what we do know is that there have been a number of businesses concerned. I personally assume the improper company was in command of that scene. However let me say this, I wasn’t there on the bottom. I do know that law enforcement officials have a tricky job in these energetic shooter conditions, as we have seen time and time once more. They’re often outgunned. We all know that. However we should, Margaret, demand an investigation and I consider the FBI, I imply, that will be my vote for a federal investigation. However I do consider since there have been so many businesses concerned on the bottom, it is necessary that we all know what function each company performed. It is necessary that we all know, was there any dialogue about entering into, these 19 workplaces who we’re informed have been within the hallway, have been they any dialogue between different commanders from different departments? We should know the solutions to these questions. And I believe a federal investigation is actually so as.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me ask you rapidly, are you happy with the scope of President Biden’s govt order on police reform this week?

REP. DEMINGS: Nicely, I actually assume the responsibility to intervene and look, we all know that police departments come in several sizes, some which might be 35,000, some are as small as 10 or six. And so the extent of coaching that they get is completely different, however responsibility to intervene, the de-escalation coaching being included in use of drive, ensuring that the general public is conscious of criminal- or not criminal- however misconduct could possibly be felony in some cases. I believe all of these issues are an excellent begin. However Margaret, that is all they’re. I additionally assume we have to have a look at coaching throughout the board with regulation enforcement, and let’s standardize the coaching so the small businesses will take pleasure in good coaching identical to the bigger businesses,

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman Demings. Thanks very a lot to your time. We’ll be proper again.