Readout of Roundtable Events with Attorney General Barr and Senator Tim Scott in Columbia, South Carolina

On Wednesday, July 8^th Senator Tim Scott hosted Attorney General William Barr in Columbia, South Carolina for two closed-press roundtable events with faith and community leaders and members of law enforcement to discuss restoring relationships between law enforcement and African American communities in South Carolina and across the country.

At Bethel A.M.E Church, Attorney General Barr and Senator Scott met with a group of faith and community leaders across ideological and political spectrums.  Attorney General Barr praised Senator Scott for his work on the Justice Act and the opportunity for the Justice Department to partner with him and his staff on this effort.  The Attorney General continued by underscoring the commitment by the Justice Department to rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the communities they police and upholding the rule of law for safer and better communities.

At a second event in downtown Columbia, Attorney General Barr and Senator Scott and met with members of local, state and federal law enforcement.  Attorney General Barr stated the critical importance of their work, acknowledging the challenges they face and his commitment to necessary reforms.  He continued to affirm his support for the law enforcement officers doing their jobs bravely and righteously to keep their communities safe from harm.

“There is no tougher job in America than being a police officer.  We need these institutions to provide peace and security in society to allow our lives to flourish,” said Attorney General Barr.  “At the same time, whenever you have that kind of institution, you have the possibility of abuse.  We need to support the police so that they’re out there protecting the community, but at the same time we have to be sure that there aren’t these abuses. It’s striking a balance.”

“I’d like to thank Attorney General Barr for making the trip to South Carolina.  We certainly had a great conversation with a lot of leaders, and I look forward to continuing the conversations…I’m hopeful that the next couple of weeks may produce the results that we’re looking for,” said Senator Tim Scott.