Last week, we used this space to advocate for tougher gun control laws and increased data collection to protect the safety and health of the people.

This week, we draw attention to gun control for police officers.

While the nation is concerned about criminals and the mentally ill getting their hands on guns and spraying theater audiences and college students with bullets, the community also must not let down its guard over rogue police officers who maim and kill unarmed and non-threatening people.

Last week, the city of North Charleston, S.C., approved a $6.5 million settlement for the family of Walter Scott.

As you may recall, Mr. Scott, 50, was stopped by a North Charleston police officer on April 4 for a broken taillight. When Mr. Scott got out of the car and ran, he was shot in the back and killed by former Officer Michael Slager.

Mr. Slager probably would have gotten away with it had it not been for the cellphone video taken by a young man who was walking by.

Police do not need guns to create havoc and ruin lives. Last month, the family of Freddie Gray settled with the City of Baltimore for $6.4 million. Mr. Gray, 25, died after his spine was nearly severed when he was nabbed, handcuffed, dragged and tossed into the back of a police wagon simply for making eye contact with police and running.

And Eric Garner’s family settled for $5.9 million in his illegal chokehold death at the hands of a New York City police officer.

These multimillion dollar judgments bring some relief to the families and children the victims left behind, but it does not bring them back from the dead. Nor does it alleviate the fears and heightened stress most African-Americans and people of color feel during encounters with police.

Just last week, Jonathan Miller, a 26-year-old African-American city councilman in Prairie View, Texas, was Tasered by police outside his home while he was on his knees with his hands by his side. When police stopped and questioned several of Mr. Miller’s fraternity brothers, he reportedly attempted to intervene. Police Tasered him and arrested him reportedly for interfering with police duties and resisting arrest.

The incident took place in the same Texas community where Sandra Bland, 28, a Prairie View A&M University graduate, was pulled over for failing to signal a lane change. She wound up being arrested and found hanged in her cell days later.

Our communities need to be safe from the threat of those who are supposedly protecting us. The continuing deaths and incidents do not bring peace and comfort.

We commend Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring for launching a training initiative for new and veteran officers on inherent biases, impartial policing, situational decision making, de-escalation of problems and use of force.

Our hope is that these initiatives will help Virginia’s police officers to think clearly and avoid such costly disasters and consequences that change families and communities forever.

The new body cameras for Richmond Police cannot arrive too soon.

We urge area police officials, including Richmond Chief Alfred Durham, Henrico Chief Douglas A. Middleton, Chesterfield Chief Thierry G. Dupuis, Hanover Sheriff David R. Hines, Petersburg Chief John I. Dixon III and State Police Superintendent W. Steven Flaherty, to continue to weed out bad officers, to enhance critical staff training and to build on the positive community relationships that we all need and deserve.