Cedric Alexander spoke about the criminal injustice among Black Americans as well as the division of the different colored communities in America.

Alexander presented a lecture at the Memorial Union as part of Iowa State’s Student Government’s lecture series about criminal justice reform. Alexander is a former chief of police for Dekalb county and was also a past president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

“If any part of our community in this country, in this nation, feel as though they are not treated fairly, feel as though they are not a part of the American family, it is not just a problem it becomes a problem for all of us,” said Alexander.

He addressed Micheal Brown’s death in 2014 and George Floyd’s death in 2020 and how these mark turning points for the nation’s criminal justice system. He said this is happening due to the inclusive culture of the younger generation.

He discussed his support for building a strong connection between the police and the community. He said that police should be a “reactive” force and not a “preventative” force.

“This is not about being on the left or on the right.” said Alexander, “This is about us being American citizens trying to figure out how we make sure to focus on what’s very important to us in our communities.”

He said greater transparency in policing and improving training methods to create a better functioning department for the betterment of the community.

Alexander said one way to improve policing is by changing the way departments recruit officers. He said recruitment needs to go much deeper than a minor criminal background check but instead should confirm they would uphold the oath they take and find people with good moral character.

Alexander uses George Floyd’s case as an example. He said when a young officer named Thomas Lane suggested turning Floyd over, Derek Chauvin refused.

He said that reforming the police will require accountability from the community, and it needs to start with leadership and role modeling from veterans in the criminal justice system. Alexander said that we can create a better future for our community by supporting our local police and building relationships with them.

“If we have a strong community, we have strong cities, strong states and a strong nation,” said Alexander.