The way law enforcement in Alabama’s capital city police citizens is about to change.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley announced on Tuesday that MPD will enter the national #8cantwait initiative, which puts forth eight policies meant to reduce hostile police interactions and shootings.
“I along with Chief Ernest Finley believe a review of our policing practices is necessary to improve the trust between the City of Montgomery’s Police Department and the community we serve,” Reed said. “The recent events throughout our nation and calls for reform have motivated us to identify more restrictive use of force policies that we will be proud of, so that minimal use of force techniques can be more widely implemented.”
The eight policy initiatives included in the initiative include banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation techniques, never shooting at moving vehicles, comprehensive reporting, requiring warnings before any shootings, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, implementing a duty to intervene and requiring a use-of-force continuum.
“We believe while we are already using many of the policies of the #8CantWait campaign, more can be done to dramatically reduce incidents of lethal force used against members of our community,” Reed said. “Too often throughout history, black men and women have disproportionately been the victims of heinous acts of violence at the hands of law enforcement. This must end now.”
