Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Charles Ramsey

PHILADELPHIA, July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When I was Philadelphia Police Commissioner, we mourned eight officers killed in the line of duty. After the attacks on police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, an entire nation mourned eight more. After 47 years in law enforcement – in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia – I've mourned far too many officers killed by guns. And as a nation, we've mourned far too many people who have fallen victim to gun violence.

I'm here to say we need more than grieving. To protect our law enforcement and to serve those heroes who have fallen, we need commonsense measures to reduce gun violence. Police need these commonsense measures. And a leader who will fight for them.

I grew up in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. The haze of gun violence hangs heavy there. My brother's best friend was murdered 50 feet from our house. He had refused to join a gang. A few years later, a Chicago police officer was shot dead in almost the same spot. He had been filling out a report in his patrol car.

Gun violence isn't unique to Englewood. It continues to visit neighborhoods across the U.S. During my years in policing, I've seen the crime scenes. I've seen the grieving families. I've seen the costs of gun violence. Now more than ever, we need a strong and steady leader to stop the bloodshed, protect our officers from being outgunned by weapons of war, and rebuild the bonds between police and communities. That's why I'm with Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton is the strong leader to protect our cops and communities from gun violence. She has stood with our first responders when we needed her most. In the days after September 11^th. In making sure they got the benefits they had earned. And today, she supports comprehensive background checks and the assault weapons ban. Those who aim to do harm shouldn't get a handgun, let alone an assault rifle.

Hillary Clinton is the steady leader to shepherd us through this critical time. The bonds between law enforcement and communities are frayed. We can't play to America's worst fears. We need to champion our greatest hopes.

Hillary will. She'll bring police and communities closer together. She'll support those who feel forgotten in challenged areas like the South Side of Chicago, Southeast DC, and North Philadelphia. And she'll support dedicated police officers working to improve their communities. Important as ever, Hillary Clinton will build bridges between communities and cops. That's better than building walls.

Hillary Clinton is the right person to become the 45^th President of the United States of America. She will work to strengthen bonds of trust between police and the communities they serve. That's why she has my vote.

May God bless all of you, may God bless all the men and women of law enforcement, and may God bless America.

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SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee

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