The many candidates running for president are saying little, if anything, about how they would handle one of the nation’s most pressing challenges, a string of deadly police encounters, says the Northeast Ohio Media Group. The news organization asked 15 presidential campaigns or campaigns-in-waiting about the issue and only five responded substantively. Republican Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon and the only high-profile black candidate in the race, answered questions after a speech last week in Cleveland. Ohio Gov. John Kasich discussed the issue in an unrelated interview. Aides to the Republican emphasized his creation of a police-community task force.
A senior adviser to Rand Paul, who has been more vocal than most candidates on the subject, spoke on behalf of the Republican senator from Kentucky. Haley Morris, a spokeswoman for Democrat Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor, contended that, “He is the only candidate on either side with experience dealing with these issues as a big-city mayor and then as a governor, and he’s the only candidate with a forward-looking vision on these issues.” A press secretary spoke for Republican Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, with a general statement that, “Unrest points to a bigger issue: lack of opportunity. Too many people are trapped in failing schools, not getting jobs, and locked away for minor offenses. This needs to change…” The media group concluded that Paul was saying the most so far about the police issue among several statements about criminal justice.