Georgia lawmakers advance bill to dissolve police department

Georgia’s state House on Friday passed a bill that would shutter the Glynn County Police Department after its handling of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.

The bill, which passed by a 152-3 vote, would allow Georgia voters to decide whether or not to eliminate their county police departments, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

There are several counties in the Peach State that have county police departments. In these instances, usually the county police handles the enforcement of state or local laws and the sheriff’s office operates the jail, according to AJC.

In February, Arbery was shot and killed near Brunswick, Ga., after being trailed by three white men while jogging. Travis and Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan have all been charged with felony murder in connection to Arbery’s death. However, it took two months and the video of Arbery’s killing for any arrests in the case to be made.

Arbery’s death, along with the police killings of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, have sparked nationwide protests demanding the end of police brutality and the rooting out of systemic racism in the country.

“There have been too many missteps over there,” said state Rep. Al Williams (D), according to AJC. “It’s time to be going in a different direction.”

State Rep. Don Hogan (R) added: “They should have arrested the McMichaels at the scene, and they did not.”

The legislation now heads to the state Senate.