During the regularly scheduled Los Angeles County Board Meeting, Los Angeles Supervisors continued discussions on the “Eight Can’t Wait” police reform guidelines.

Supervisors Janice Hahn and Mark Ridley-Thomas filed a motion urging “The Sheriff’s Department, and the 46 Police Departments within Los Angeles County, to review their use of force policies and adapt them to be consistent with the eight reforms outlined by Campaign Zero, and to implement these changes within existing fiscal resources,” according to the meeting agenda.

“The killing of George Floyd once again exposes the harsh reality that the African-American community has to endure in our country. We will not accept this injustice,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. “I believe that the eight reforms identified by Campaign Zero in this motion give us specific and clear changes to reduce the use of force by law enforcement that has resulted in this senseless violence. I urge dozens of police agencies in the County to adopt the policies immediately.” 

The adoption would include a letter with signatures from each of the five supervisors to each station within the county as well as directing the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to report back to the Board in less than 30 days with their recommendations on strengthening, reforming the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s use of force policies and practices

The Inspector General would also be directed to report back to the Board in 15 days with an analysis of the current LASD use of force policy and its compliance, or lack thereof, with the eight reforms outlined by Campaign Zero.

The Eight Can’t Wait reforms from Campaign Zero include these changes to policing to reduce the opportunity of excessive force from California Peace Officers:

• Require officers to intervene to stop another officer from using excessive force
• Restrict or prohibit the use of all neck restraints, including chokeholds, strangleholds, and carotid restraints and knee-on-neck maneuvers
• Require officers to de-escalate situations, when possible, before using force
• Use a Force Continuum or Matrix that defines and limits the types of force that can be used to respond to specific types of resistance
• Require officers to give a verbal warning before using deadly force 
• Prohibit officers from shooting at people in moving vehicles unless the person poses a deadly threat by means other than the vehicle
• Require officers to exhaust all other reasonable alternatives before resorting to using deadly force
• Require comprehensive reporting that includes both uses of force and threats of force

“The people are demanding change,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “These are eight steps that can be taken right now by all of our law enforcement departments that are proven effective in reducing the number of people killed by police and sheriff’s deputies. Most of the police departments in LA County have already implemented one or two of these policies, but no one has implemented all eight. I am calling on our Sheriff and all of our local police chiefs to update their use of force policies to include these important restrictions to use of force. We cannot wait any longer.”

Earlier this month, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva put out a release highlighting the department’s various use of force policies and their alignment with the steps outlined in the “Eight Can’t Wait” campaign.

• All LASD personnel must intervene and stop other deputies/officers/personnel from using excessive force, then immediately report it to a supervisor.
• All LASD personnel are prohibited from using chokeholds, strangleholds, and carotid restraints performed with legs, knees, or feet.
• All LASD personnel must de-escalate situations and use force as a last resort.
• All LASD use of force (UOF) options are listed on a Situational UOF Options chart which defines and limits the types of force that can be used in response to specific types of behavior.
• All LASD personnel shall identify themselves and give a verbal warning before using deadly force, when feasible.
• All LASD personnel are prohibited from shooting at people in moving vehicles unless the person poses a deadly threat by means other than the vehicle.
• All LASD personnel are required to exhaust all other reasonable alternatives before resorting to using deadly force. 
• All LASD personnel are required to comprehensively report and document ALL applications and witness of UOF.  The threat of force is documented in certain situations.  An investigation is conducted into every UOF incident and is reviewed by Department executives.

In addition, Villanueva listed several policies that are currently under review or subject to change. 

Those policies include an immediate memorandum on the use of the “carotid restraint,” commonly known as a chokehold, except in situations which rise to the use of deadly force; the documentation of all threats of force, rather than specific threats in policy, is under review; and continued revision of all LASD use of force policies.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.