One year ago this week, George Floyd was murdered on camera by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. To mark the anniversary of Floyd’s death, we talked to Cedric Alexander, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and former police chief, about community policing, racial bias in policing, how communities and policymakers might rethink the role of police officers in ensuring public safety, and what can be done to restore trust between police departments and the communities that they serve.

Cedric Alexander, PsyD, began his career as a police officer and detective in Florida in the 1970s and '80s. After more than a decade in law enforcement, he earned a doctorate in clinical psychology and worked as a mental health practitioner and faculty member at the University of Rochester. In 2002, he returned to policing as deputy chief of police in Rochester, New York. He later served as Rochester's police chief, deputy commissioner of the New York State division of criminal justice services, federal security director at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and director of public safety for DeKalb County, Georgia. He is also a past president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and was a member of President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.