(WHDH) — In the wake of the officer-involved death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests calling for more transparency and accountability, police departments in Massachusetts have been announcing updates to their use of force policies.
Departments have now made it mandatory for officers to intervene in situations where another officer is using unreasonable force, bringing them in line with reforms of the “8 Can’t Wait” campaign.
The policy changes, which are effective immediately, state that every officer present at any scene where physical force is being used must stop, or attempt to stop, another officer when force is being inappropriately applied or is no longer required for the safety of the officers or the public.
The 8 Can’t Wait campaign encourages departments to adopt restrictive use of force policies, including banning chokeholds and strangleholds, requiring de-escalation, requiring officers to provide a verbal warning before shooting, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, implementing a duty to intervene, banning shooting at moving vehicles, requiring a use of force continuum and requiring comprehensive reporting of all incidents that resulted in the threat or use of force.
Floyd, a black man, died in late May after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on the back of his kneck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest on Memorial Day. Floyd had been suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill.
Derek Chauvin is facing a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Floyd’s death.
Since Floyd’s death, there has been an increase in nationwide calls for defunding police departments.
Gov. Charlie Baker said earlier this week, “I hope everybody at this point understands that there needs to be more transparency and accountability around law enforcement.”
Below is a list of police departments that have already announced reforms. Click each link to learn more about the changes.
- Boston Police Department
- Cambridge Police Department
- Arlington Police Department
- Lowell Police Department
- MBTA Transit Police Department
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