Police Use of Baton Down Since Rodney King Incident 25 Years Ago
When the video of Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney G. King shocked the world 25 years ago, the baton quickly became a symbol of law enforcement abuse.
When the video of Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney G. King shocked the world 25 years ago, the baton quickly became a symbol of law enforcement abuse, reports the Associated Press.
Back then, the 2-foot solid piece of aluminum was an essential tool in the police officer's arsenal. In 1990, Los Angeles police officers used their batons 741 times during force incidents, more than any other weapon.
But the infamous video marked the beginning of the end for the baton's reign. By 2015, LAPD officers used their batons just 54 times.
The baton offers a dramatic example of how police behavior has changed since the King beating. Authorities said that officers stopped using them for a variety of reasons: Changes in rules and training and the rise of other types of less-lethal weapons, as well as the lasting stigma from those grainy images.
More Procedures & Policies
No Waiting: Detective Busts Missing Persons Myth
Detective David Lee Stephens wants the public and every law enforcement agency to know there is no truth nor logic to the widely held belief that one must wait 24 or 48 hours to report a missing person.
Read More →
Trump Issues Executive Order He Says Will Help Police Fight Crime
“My Administration is steadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens,” Trump said.
Read More →NYPD Restricts Vehicle Pursuits to Suspects Wanted for Serious Crimes
The revamped policy, which takes effect Feb. 1, bars police from pursuing suspects for traffic infractions, violations or non-violent misdemeanors, police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Read More →NYPD Going “Old School” with Uniform, Facial Hair Policy
“It’s absolutely ludicrous that you have an officer with pink hair and nails longer than their fingers,” one Manhattan officer said. “We’re a police department not a hip hop department. Let’s go back to being police officers.”
Read More →AZ POST Considers Revision to Marijuana Rules for Recruits
“My recommendation for your consideration is we go for a six-month window,” said Matt Giordano, executive director. “We would go to six months of the last use.
Read More →
Time to Change Our Pursuit Policies
Complicated guidelines that require officers to make decisions during the heat of the moment are not working.
Read More →Baltimore Police Complying with Key Consent Decree Requirements, DOJ Says
If the court grants the motion, BPD must maintain compliance with the provisions for one year before the court can terminate these sections of the consent decree.
Read More →
Study Finds Consent Decrees Onerous, Ineffective, and Often Harmful
The report concludes: “When a consent decree is truly warranted, it must focus on the most urgent concerns. The violations should be clearly identified and fully supported by rigorous evidence."
Read More →DOJ and Consent Decree Monitor Praise Albuquerque PD for Reforms
Monitors tracking civilian oversight, one of the largest remaining roadblocks in reaching full compliance, called it “a mess” that was being cleaned up, and advocates applauded the work done by the department to come so far, so fast.
Read More →
Portland Loosens Restrictions on Vehicle Pursuits
“We have seen a significant propensity for criminal suspects to elude traffic stops, often driving extremely dangerously despite no officers chasing them,” the Bureau said in a statement.
Read More →