The Denver Police Department on Sunday announced changes to the department's use-of-force policies, banning chokeholds and requiring officers to report any incident in which they point a sidearm at an individual.
Police Magazine is hosting a free webinar Jan. 30 to explain how police departments can work to reduce liability risks and protect themselves.
In past October issues of POLICE we've covered officer safety on various levels, including how lazy tactics can get you hurt, how to secure subjects properly, and how to protect yourself from lawsuits over use of force.
Attendees at the Use of Force Summit receive focused and contemporary training on law enforcement and corrections force policies, training, and investigation from some of the nation's finest instructors.
Under the new standard, prosecutors can also consider the actions both of officers and of the victim leading up to a deadly encounter, to determine whether the officer acted within the scope of law, policy and training.
Chief Williams said she expects the new "Pointed Gun at Person" (PGP) reports will help the department track how many times officers can de-escalate potentially deadly situations.
The measure also would require state and local governments to pass similar standards for their police agencies or face a cutoff of federal law enforcement aid.
Some agencies have policies and training that are not current with the law.
Golden State politicians wanted to make "necessary" the standard for police to use deadly force, but they settled for "reasonable."
Assembly Bill 392, backed by anti-police activists, has been called the toughest standard in the nation for when police can use deadly force. It was written months after Sacramento police shot Stephon Clark, a vehicle burglary suspect, after a foot pursuit when they mistook his cell phone for a gun.