With the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha Wisconsin, it is clear that we need to find a solution. The protests and riots are not likely to go away on their own. So what should the solution be? 

In the children’s fairy tale, Goldilocks goes through bowls of porridge, chairs, and beds, and discovers that moderation is a good thing. In our scenario, we have one side that wants to bring in troops to try and force people to go home, while the other side has struggled to make adjustments to the police force that are both significant enough to make a difference, and not so repressive that the police force quits. Like Goldilocks, we need moderation here. 

The United Utah Party, like other parties, has no official stance here. However, we offer some initial suggestions:

• All officers should have body cameras while on duty that turn video and audio on immediately.
• Officer involved shootings should not be investigated by investigators and prosecutors closely tied to the officer. A special task force for the state should manage all such affairs.
• Officers should receive training on how to de-escalate situations, and on implicit bias
• Officers should be strongly encouraged to use non lethal weapons whenever possible

We know that police officers put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us. There are many good men and women who serve in the blue, and deserve our respect. And many police forces have already implemented some of these controls. However, the sooner we can implement these accountability recommendations, the sooner we can start rebuilding the trust between the officers, and the community. And for those officers who uphold the law, excel at de-escalating tense situations, and have learned to keep implicit bias in check, they should probably get a pay raise too.

A vote for a United Utah Party candidate is a vote for suggestions that respect all involved - the accused as well as the police. We are passionate about solving problems in the best way possible, looking for solutions that have the best chance of success. We are not distracted by the partisan extremes other parties like to tout. We find solutions that work.