On Thursday, June 25th Councilmember Carr and Mayor Pro Tem Ashby will hold a press conference to outline the proposed changes to the Sacramento Police Department’s use of force policy. As Chair of the Governance Ad Hoc Committee, Councilmember Carr will present changes to the Use of Force Policy that reflect both community input and the policy reforms put forward by Mayor Pro Tem Ashby.
Councilmember Carr, Chair of the Governance Ad Hoc Committee, states “Our Use of Force Policy was adopted in 2016 and it is now time to update our policy to reflect current community concerns. Additionally, we must align the language in our policy with current state law. This update addresses both of those issues.” The sanctity of life is inviolable, and every person has a right to be free from excessive use of force by officers acting under the color of law. Developing and maintaining a professional and highly trained police force is imperative. In an effort to guarantee that all lives are protected and valued in the City of Sacramento, Council is adopting the following policy that requires the City Manager to ensure the police:
- Comply with all State legislation.
- Prohibit the carotid artery hold and chokehold.
- Prohibit the use of no-knock raid warrants regarding narcotics.
- Develop and issue specific guidelines for the type of force and tools authorized for a given level of resistance.
- Are issued and carry less lethal weapons and body worn cameras.
- Do not move in front of or shoot at moving vehicles unless the person poses a threat with a weapon other than the vehicle or has exhibited a specific intent to use the vehicle as a weapon.
- Intervene when an officer observes another officer using force that is clearly beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances, and when in a position to do so, to prevent the use of unreasonable force and report the incident to their immediate supervisor as soon as reasonably possible.
- Receive ongoing explicit & implicit bias training, do no harm training, race and society training, and training in de-escalating encounters with the public to include individuals with physical, mental health, developmental or intellectual disabilities.
- Are trained in basic first aid and render such aid as soon as safe to do so after a deadly force incident and immediately notify EMS.
- Make reasonable attempts to shield the public’s view of the body after a deadly force incident.
- Ensure immediate family members of a subject that has died as a result of police use of force or while in custody are made aware of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
- Release all video directly associated with a deadly force incident or in-custody death. The family of the decedent will be offered the opportunity to review the video prior to public release. If the video cannot be made public before the 30th day after the incident, the City Manager shall seek a waiver from the Council.
The three new additions include banning of chokeholds, prohibiting the use of no-knock raid warrants, and ongoing professional development training for our officers.
Mayor Pro Tem Ashby states, “The proposed changes will increase transparency and accountability as we continue to build trust between the community and the police department.”