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ATLANTA (AP) — The Latest on reaction among black police officers and others to Trump administration's tough talk on crime and treatment of suspects (all times local):
2:35 p.m.
The head of a major black law enforcement group says President Donald Trump has sparked concerns with his comment that police shouldn't be "nice" to suspects as they lower them into police cars.
Perry Tarrant, assistant chief of the Seattle Police Department and current president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, said he believes "off-the-cuff" comments like Trump's can detract from local police officers' efforts to build trust in their communities.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday addressed the NOBLE conference in Atlanta and also spoke to the group's leadership. Tarrant said Sessions told NOBLE leaders he believes Trump made the comments in jest but that he understands the effect such comments can have and underscored the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting everyone's civil rights.
Other attendees at the conference approached by The Associated Press declined to comment on the president's comments or Sessions' address.
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1:50 p.m.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has addressed a major black law enforcement group, just days after President Donald Trump said police shouldn't be "nice" to suspects by shielding their heads as they are lowered, handcuffed, into police cars.
Sessions did not directly address the president's comments, but said police officers need the support of the community as they do a dangerous job.
He told members of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives that they deserve the support of every American, and said the Trump administration stands behind them. His comment drew applause.
Trump's comment on Friday is now described by the White House as a joke. It angered some police who said it only served to dial back progress they'd made with the people they serve.
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1:45 p.m.
The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration has taken exception to remarks last week by President Donald Trump that he said "condoned police misconduct regarding the treatment of individuals placed under arrest by law enforcement."
In an internal email to employees Saturday, Chuck Rosenberg said he was not advancing any political agenda and had no reason to think DEA agents or officers would mistreat people in their custody.
Rosenberg said he thought it was important to emphasize the drug agency's operating principles, which include rule of law, respect and compassion and integrity.
Trump said Friday police shouldn't be "nice" to suspects by shielding their heads as they are lowered, handcuffed, into police cars. The White House later said it was a joke.
In the email obtained by The Associated Press, Rosenberg says there's an "obligation to speak out when something is wrong."
A DEA spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
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4 a.m.
The Trump administration's tough talk on crime and treatment of suspects is concerning black police officers.
After recent years of high-profile shootings of blacks by police, officers fear efforts to improve the relationship between police and minorities could be derailed.
A major black law enforcement group is set to hear Tuesday from Attorney General Jeff Sessions days after President Donald Trump said police shouldn't be "nice" to suspects by shielding their heads as they are lowered, handcuffed, into police cars.
The comment, now described by the White House as a joke, angered some police who said it only served to dial back progress they'd made with the people they serve.
Sessions has so far been silent on the president's remarks, and the Justice Department didn't immediately say whether he would mention them during the speech.
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