Can New Police Use-of-Force Guidelines Repair Community Relations?

Parallax News presents big issues broken down into multiple perspectives. This brief looks at 3 perspectives on police-community relations following the killings in Baton Rouge, St. Paul, and Dallas.

With the U.S. facing a crisis over police-community relations, Hillary Clinton is calling for new national use-of-force guidelines. Her proposal would increase the burden on officers to de-escalate violent encounters and prevent civilian deaths. The guidelines would include training requirements for all departments, teaching police to use more caution, especially when confronted by civilians who are mentally ill or threatening violence. As a result of the new guidelines, officers involved in homicides would likely have a harder time avoiding punishment if deadly force were used as anything but a last resort.

I. Gwen Moore

Rep. Gwen Moore (D — Wis.) proposed legislation in May that would enshrine new use-of-force guidelines for police nationwide. Moore says her bill is “about giving police officers additional training assets with regard to encounters that don’t necessarily have to end up with a use of deadly force.” Because the current standards allow police to use maximum force when threatened, Moore argues that civilians are dying unnecessarily in confrontations that might otherwise end peacefully. Moore hopes that new standards, requiring officers to use the least amount of force possible, would reduce these tragic incidents and thus improve relations between police and minority communities. This is especially relevant to the African-American community, which sees a disproportionate number of citizens killed in confrontations with police.

II. Fraternal Order of Police

Jim Pasco is the head of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), a network that represents more than 325,000 law enforcement officers nationwide. Pasco and his group have rejected calls for stricter use-of-force guidelines. The FOP sees these guidelines as an unreasonable demand on police to avoid force in situations where doing so could risk their lives or those of others nearby. The existing use-of-force standard, established by the Supreme Court in 1989, allows extensively trained officers to use their own judgment. Pasco believes the judgment of officers, however imperfect, is still the best tool for preventing fatal outcomes in the heat of the moment. With the new guidelines being proposed, officers would be more susceptible to punishment. If police face a greater chance of conviction for using deadly force, the result could be a worsening of morale and a discouragement to fight crime in more dangerous communities.

III. John Kasich

John Kasich, the Governor of Ohio, has tried to find middle-ground solutions in dealing with police reform, especially after the shooting in Cleveland of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Overall, Kasich said his policies are built around taking all sides into account, including those who feel marginalized by the current system. “If there are people who feel that they are being shut out, you have to listen to them,” said Kasich. Kasich, without imposing new rules hated by police unions, has created statewide standards and panels that focus on the “culture” within law enforcement. The Republican governor created an advisory panel, made up of experts in law enforcement and civil rights, to oversee department behavior and develop uniform “best practices” recommendations. He also instituted a more thorough process for screening prospective officers before hiring them.

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Further Reading: Washington Post / Columbus Dispatch / PBS

This brief was written by Jared Metzker

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