President Obama will quickly return today to the delicate balancing act of supporting law enforcement while addressing concerns of bias from some of the communities officers serve, the Associated Press reports. Obama is meeting with police officers at the White House, the second such session this week. This time, it will be expanded to include mayors, academics and civil rights activists. “We’ll share solutions from communities that have already found ways to build trust and reduce disparities,” Obama said on Facebook.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met with representatives from eight police organizations Monday before flying to Dallas to lead a memorial for five police officers killed by a suspect who said he wanted to kill whites, particularly white officers. The officers were working at rally in which protesters gathered to voice complaints about the shooting deaths of two black men by police officers, one in Baton Rouge. Biden told CNN that a few police groups at the meeting voiced some displeasure with the president while others told him he was “doing it just right” with his comments. Biden said Obama asked the police officials at the meeting: “Fellas, what do you think I’m not doing? What have you not heard me say?” Biden also said some police organizations voiced concerns for the safety of their members. “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard police organizations say, ‘My guys are frightened,’ ” Biden said.