‘We need more police:’ Trayvon Martin’s mom says don’t defund police, qualifies to run for office

Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, has qualified to run for county commissioner in Florida’s Miami-Dade County.

Martin was an unarmed 17-year-old who was killed by George Zimmerman, a civilian, in February 2012. Zimmerman told police Martin looked suspicious while the teen was walking back to a family home from a convenience store in Sanford, Florida.

After gaining national attention, Zimmerman was charged and tried. A jury acquitted him of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. The acquittal sparked national outrage and demands for justice, fueling the Black Lives Matter movement.

Fulton, who has been an activist since her son was killed, announced last year that she planned to run for Miami-Dade county commissioner in 2020 with priorities focused on transportation, affordable housing and economic opportunity. Last week, she announced she is officially qualified to run for public office.

In the midst of a resurgence of the movement after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police, many people have supported demands to defund police departments nationwide. But Fulton, whose son was not killed by police, said she does not agree.

“I don’t agree with that,” Fulton told The Guardian. “I think we need more police. We need police with better standards, and police with better ethics and better work habits.”

Fulton said she hopes to “bridge the gap” between law enforcement and community members in Miami-Dade County.

“I want residents to feel safe,” she said.

The outspoken advocate for gun law reform said she wants to bring more resources, programs and funding to her district -- one with primarily minority residents. That includes increasing access to mental health resources. She also wants citizens to be able to trust police.

“The greatest need right now is the precinct crime. When I was growing up, we had Officer Friendly in the school. Right now, a lot of the young people, their first encounter with the police is when they’re arrested or being pushed around. I want to change that narrative,” she said. “People have said I don’t like police officers, and that’s not true because the person who shot and killed my son was not a police officer. My dad retired from the police department here in Miami, so there’s no way I could hate police officers. I just don’t like bad, crooked officers. I like professional, service-oriented, respectful police officers. When I call 911, I want the police officer to come and help me. I don’t want to feel intimidated when I call, and I don’t want our kids to be afraid.”

According to HuffPost, Fulton previously worked as a housing agency employee who assisted low-income renters. Her campaign website says that she has worked in government in Miami-Dade County for more than 20 years. In an interview, she said she worked for the county commission until her son’s death, and she had no intention of leaving her role.

“I’m like everyone else. I’m fed up with what I’ve seen so far in politics, and I think I need to lend my voice to make positive change,” she said, speaking on why she’s decided to run for office. “I want to start in my own backyard. That’s why I’m running for Miami-Dade County commissioner because it’s right here. A lot of people thought that I should run for a seat that was higher, but I just want to start here and make change.”

Fulton has received support from figures like former presidential candidates Cory Booker and Hillary Clinton.

Cox Media Group