Missouri police officers would be prohibited from using chokeholds to subdue crime suspects under a sweeping package of law enforcement reforms that were expected to be signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday.
The package, spread across two different bills, also removes a requirement for Kansas City police to live within the city’s borders, the Missourian reports.
A similar residency requirement for St. Louis police was lifted last year as part of an effort to boost recruiting of officers.
The new laws also require law enforcement to keep a database of incidents involving officers using serious or deadly force. That could help police track officers who quit one department and go to work in another jurisdiction.
The Brennan Center for Justice says nine states and Washington, D.C., have enacted complete bans on chokeholds and other neck restraints while eight states enacted legislation restricting their use to instances in which officers are legally justified to use deadly force.
