Reducing Unnecessary Use of force and Increasing officer Safety
Adopted at the in 2016
WHEREAS, appropriate use of force is fundamental to ensuring constitutional policing and maintaining and strengthening the relationship between the police and the communities they serve; and
WHEREAS, in recent years there have been several visible incidents which have called into question police officers' use of force and have diminished the public's trust in the police, even though these incidents represent a miniscule percentage of police officers' interactions with the public; and
WHEREAS, to examine issues relating to use of force and develop guidance for police departments and police officers, the Police Executive Research forum (PERF) held four national conferences, conducted a survey of police agencies on their training of officers on force issues; conducted field research in police agencies, and interviewed police trainers and other personnel at all ranks, as well as experts in mental health; and
WHEREAS, based on all of this work, in March 2016, PERF published Guiding Principles on Use of force, which outlines 30 principles designed to provide officers with guidance and options, and to reduce unnecessary uses of force in situations that do not involve suspects armed with firearms, while at the same time increasing officer safety; and
WHEREAS, the 30 principles are organized into four areas:
- Policy "13 policy principles which include embracing the sanctity of human life, adopting de-escalation as agency policy, establishing a duty to intervene with officers who may be using excessive force, prohibiting firing at moving vehicles, and documentation and reporting requirements for use-of-force incident;
- Training and Tactics - 11 principles relating to training and tactics in use of force include de-escalation strategies (especially communications); using distance, cover, and time when appropriate; ensuring a strong supervisory response; and training as teams when possible;
- Equipment "Four principles pertaining to equipment, including less lethal options such as chemical spray and electronic control weapons and greater use of personal protection shields to increase officer safety during de-escalation efforts;
- Information Exchange "Two principles involve training for call-takers and dispatchers, who are critical to every police response, and educating family members of people with mental illness on what to report when they call 9-1-1,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors commends the Police Executive Research forum for this important report and encourages mayors to review the report and its 30 guiding principles, and work with their police chiefs to implement those principles appropriate for their department and their officers.