PRESS RELEASE DETAIL

Office of the Mayor-President


For release: IMMEDIATELY

Release Date: 02/02/2017

Mayor’s Advisory Council recommends BRPD ‘use of force” changes, policies take effect immediately


Office of Mayor-President
City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge


SHARON WESTON BROOME
Mayor-President


Feb. 2, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Dr. Tamiara Wade, Asst. Chief Administrative Officer, (225) 389-3100
Michelle McCalope, Communications Office: (225) 389-7957


BATON ROUGE -- To fulfill her commitment to close the gap between law enforcement and the community, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome has been meeting with law enforcement officials and community leaders over the past several weeks.

As a result of this collaborative effort, the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Law Enforcement and Community Service and Protection is recommending policy changes occur within the Baton Rouge Police Department that align with national best practices surrounding “use of force.”

“We believe that the implementation of these policy changes will enhance existing BRPD policies and compliment academy and in-service training,” Mayor Broome said.

The following are the agreed upon policy changes. These changes in policy will take place immediately.

• Officers are required to give a verbal warning, before using deadly force, except where there are exigent circumstances.
• Officers are required to de-escalate situations, when possible, before using force. De-escalation strategies include disengagement, area containment, waiting out a subject, summoning reinforcements, calling in specialized units or employing other strategies.
• Officers will not employ chokeholds or strangleholds, except in emergency circumstances where it is immediately necessary to use deadly force and the authorized weapons are inoperable, inaccessible or otherwise not available.
• Officers are prohibited from discharging a firearm at a moving vehicle unless the vehicle or the persons within the vehicle pose an immediate deadly threat to others.
• Officers will be required to intervene to prevent another officer from using excessive force and to immediately report when they observe the use of excessive force by another officer.

The Mayor’s Advisory Council on Law Enforcement and Community Service and Protection include: Fr. Rick Andrus, Rev. Robin McCullough-Bade, Broderick Bagert, Attorney Alfreda Tillman Bester, Constable Reginald Brown, Pastor Renee’ Brown, Gary Chambers, Councilman Lamont Cole, Kelvin A. Cryer, Chief Carl Dabadie, Mark Dumaine, Cleve Dunn, Jr., Col. Mike Edmonson, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux, Casey Hicks, Pastor Donald Hunter, Josh Howard, Mary Jane Marcantel, E.J. Milton, Michael A.V. Mitchell, Tonja Myles, Rev. Reginald Pitcher, Attorney Joyce Plummer, Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed, Dr. Dereck Rovaris, Michael W. Victorian, Pastor Charles Wallace, Pastor Lee T. Wesley, and Dr. Katara Williams.

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