List of police reforms related to the George Floyd protests

In June 2020, Democrats in Congress introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a police reform and accountability bill that contains measures to combat police misconduct, excessive force, and racial bias in policing.[5] Advocates and lawmakers have tried to pass police reform measures in the past, and their efforts received renewed energy after the high profile killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other African Americans at the hands of police.[1][6][7] The bill includes several provisions which aim to improve oversight, accountability, training, and documentation while placing restrictions on techniques like chokeholds and use of deadly force.[1] It was introduced on June 8, and its status pending as of June 18.[1]

The George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act is a civil rights bill proposed in the United States House of Representatives by Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), co-sponsored by Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Jason Crow (D-CO).[8] The bill would implement national policing standards and accreditations, require agencies to share policing data with the Department of Justice, and make grants available for new programs that help departments recruit, hire, or increase oversight. It also requires the Department of Justice to assemble a task force responsible for law enforcement misconduct cases.[8]

The Ending Qualified Immunity Act is a police reform bill proposed in the United States House of Representatives by Justin Amash (L-MI-3), cosponsored by 39 members of the House.[9] The bill would remove the judicial doctrine of qualified immunity that protects law enforcement personnel from being held personally responsible for violating the rights of citizens.[10][11] When introducing the bill, Amash stated that "The brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police is merely the latest in a long line of incidents of egregious police misconduct." This pattern continues because police are legally, politically, and culturally insulated from consequences for violating the rights of the people whom they have sworn to serve. That must change so that these incidents of brutality stop happening."[10]

On June 16, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, which calls for independent credentialing bodies certified by the Attorney General and provides financial incentives for departments which work to attain those credentials. The credentials would be based on criteria set by the Attorney General, and should include a ban on chokeholds "except in those situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law" as well as "policies and training regarding use-of-force and de-escalation techniques; performance management tools, such as early warning systems that help to identify officers who may require intervention; and best practices regarding community engagement." The order also calls for creating a national database with information about "instances of excessive use of force". Regarding police interactions with people with mental health issues or struggling with homelessness or addiction, the order calls for increased training, increasing the capacity for mental health professionals and social workers to work with law enforcement, and researching community-support models.[12][13][14][15][16]

On June 9, 2020, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed an executive order to create a police task force to “deal with police training, certification, and standards.”[17] The purpose of the task force is to study and review policies of de-certification, community policing, and recommended means of "enhancing the trust of law enforcement."[17]

Mural in Oakland, CA

On June 5, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom called for new police crowd control procedures for the state and the banning of the police use of carotid chokeholds, which starve the brain of oxygen.[18] California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has recommended nine key reforms for local police departments in California, including banning the use of chokeholds, requiring officers to de-escalate situations and give verbal warning before using force, and requiring officers to intervene to stop another officer from using excessive force.[19]

On June 9, 2020, the city of Berkeley permanently banned police from using tear gas.[20]

On June 6, 2020, the Davis Police Department announced that it would prohibit officers from using chokeholds, and would require officers to intervene when observing colleagues using improper levels of force.[21]

On June 3, 2020, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said he would cut as much as $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department's budget,[22] a reversal of his planned increase of $120 million.[23] Garcetti announced the funds would be redirected to community initiatives.[23]

On June 1, 2020, San Diego Police Department announced an immediate ban on carotid chokeholds, which starve the brain of oxygen.[24]

San Francisco, CA

On June 11, 2020, the city of San Francisco announced plans for police to stop responding to non-criminal activities such as neighbor disputes, reports on homeless people, and school discipline interventions. Under the proposal, police will be replaced with trained and non-armed professionals.[25]

Touro University California banned the Vallejo Police Department from using its campus for training.[26] The university's decision came after the shooting of Sean Monterrosa and after the release of a statement from the Vallejo police union which criticized protests of the killing by police.[26]

On June 13, 2020, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB20-217, banning the use of chokeholds, banning the use of tear gas without announcing it or allowing people to disperse, removing the qualified immunity defense, and requiring all officers to use body cameras by July 1, 2023.[27] The bill, which will be signed by Governor Jared Polis, will also prevent officers fired for misconduct from being rehired at other departments and force officers to face criminal charges for not intervening when another officer is violating use of force policies.[28]

On June 7, 2020, Denver Police Department banned the use of chokeholds without exception and established new reporting requirements whenever a police officer points a gun at a person.[29] The department will also require its SWAT teams to activate body cameras during tactical operations.[29]

On June 15, 2020, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont imposed a series of reforms on the Connecticut State Police, including a ban on chokeholds, a mandate that officers use body cameras and dashboard cameras, and restrictions on a program that funnels military equipment to local law enforcement.[30]

Black Lives Matter Plaza

On June 10, 2020, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she would sign the D.C. Council's emergency legislation to ban the use of neck restraints, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and stun grenades by police.[21] The Council has also passed legislation requiring the mayor to release body camera footage from any police-involved death or major use of force within three days of the incident, with family members of the person involved in the incident to be the first to see the video.[21]

On June 15, 2020, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a series of administrative orders for police reform, including requirements for reporting deadly force and for training and use of de-escalation techniques.[31]

On June 11, 2020, the Louisville Metro Council unanimously passed Breonna's Law to ban the use of no-knock warrants and requiring police to turn their body cameras on before carrying out a search. The law is named after Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a no-knock search by police in Louisville in March 2020. The public outcry after her death has been a significant part of the Black Lives Matter protests which gained intensity after the death of George Floyd.[21][32][33]

On June 15, 2020, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the creation of a task force to review the Chicago Police Department's use of force policies.[34] Lightfoot said the department overhauled its policies after the DOJ's oversight agreement and scathing report following the murder of Laquan McDonald but also said it’s worth checking if the policies have withstood “the test of time.”[34]

On June 11, 2020, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince established a police reform commission to evaluate the police department's use of force practices and policies.[35]

On June 12, 2020, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a police reform bill into law, prohibiting the use of a chokehold in an arrest "except when a person cannot be captured any other way or has used or threatened deadly force" and preventing an officer from being hired in Iowa if they have a previous felony conviction, were fired for misconduct, or left before they could be fired for misconduct.[36] The bill, which was introduced, debated, and unanimously passed by the Iowa legislature in a single day, also requires annual anti-bias and deescalation training for law enforcement and allows the Iowa Attorney General to prosecute officers for a criminal offense resulting in the death of a human being.[36]

Several state-level bills are pending in Massachusetts. Representatives Russel Holmes and David Vieira proposed one to develop standards for hiring, training, ethical conduct, and retention of police. Representative Liz Miranda proposed another bill limiting police use of force and collecting data about race in arrests. Other bills would establish an agency focused on diversity in state government and a Commission on Structural Racism which would research racial inequality in the criminal justice system.[37]

On May 28, Michigan State Senator Jeff Irwin introduced Senate Bill 945 which would require the addition of "implicit bias, de-escalation techniques, and mental health screening" as part of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards certification process for new law enforcement officers.[38] The bill was drafted before the death of George Floyd in response to the broader problem of police brutality. It passed the State Senate unanimously on June 4.[39]

Graffiti and political messages on a boarded up store in Minneapolis, June 4

The widescale protests are a reaction to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, making it one of the major protest locations in the weeks that followed, and a significant public scrutiny of its law enforcement policies. On June 5, 2020, the Minneapolis City Council and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights agreed to a temporary restraining order requiring Minneapolis to update its procedures to ban chokeholds and other neck restraints by police, such as the one an officer used in the incident when George Floyd was killed.[40]

Nine members of the Minneapolis City Council  – a veto-proof majority – including Jeremiah Ellison, pledged on June 7 to dismantle the city's police department, despite opposition from the city's major, Jacob Frey.[41][42]

The University of Minnesota and Minneapolis Public Schools changed their relationship with the city's police force, with the city's school board voting to cut ties with the department.[43] The Minneapolis Parks Department also voted unanimously to cut ties with the MPD, and to change park police uniforms and vehicles to distinguish them from Minneapolis police.[44]

On June 10th, 2020, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced the police department is withdrawing from union contract negotiations as a first step towards police reforms. [45]

On June 4, 2020, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced a series of police reforms, including whistleblower protections, independent review of officer-involved shootings, and use of body cameras by police officers.[46]

On June 5, 2020, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that the state will ban police departments from using chokeholds and similar neck and carotid restraints.[21] According the Grewal's order, "Because these tactics create a substantial risk of death or serious bodily harm, officers who cause a subject's death or injury while performing them face potential criminal liability" except when "deadly force is necessary to address an imminent threat to life".[21]

New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on June 10

On June 8, 2020, the New York State Legislature began to approve a series of bills targeting police misconduct, including the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, making police use of a chokehold a felony punishable with up to 15 years in prison.[47][48] The legislature also passed a prohibition on race-based profiling and mandated tracking of race and ethnicity data in arrests.[47] On June 9, the legislature repealed section 50-a of the New York Civil Rights Law, which required permission by an officer or a judge in order to release any "personnel records used to evaluate performance" of that officer.[49] New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bills into law on June 12 at a ceremony including Valerie Bell and Gwen Carr (mothers of Sean Bell and Eric Garner, respectively), NAACP President Hazel Dukes, and Al Sharpton.[48] On June 12, Cuomo also signed an executive order mandating that all police departments get local government approval for a reform plan by April 1, 2021, in order to continue to be eligible for state funding.[48]

On June 15, 2020, Cuomo signed three additional pieces of police reform legislation into law.[50] The legislation will change reporting requirements for police discharge of firearms, will require courts to compile demographic data on policing, and will ensure that police provide medical and mental health assistance when individuals in police custody require assistance.[50] On June 17, Cuomo signed a bill requiring state troopers to use body cameras during "all uses of force, all arrests and all interactions with people suspected of criminal activity", among other situations.[51]

On June 10, 2020, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced a series of police reforms, including policy changes for body cameras and the policing of non-violent offenses, requirements of de-escalation and bias training, and the establishment of a special commission to examine police policies and procedures.[52]

Brooklyn Bridge

On June 7, 2020, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that funds would be reallocated from the NYPD into youth and social services.[53] De Blasio did not specify how much funding would be diverted but expressed intent to work with the City Council to come up with a plan before the July 1 budget deadline.[53] De Blasio also announced that the enforcement of street vendor laws and regulations would no longer be carried out by the NYPD.[53]

On June 15, 2020, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced that the department was disbanding its plainclothes units and reassigning those roughly 600 officers. Plainclothes officers will remain in the city's transit system.[54]

On June 18, 2020, the New York City Council passed a series of police reforms, including a bill to criminalize the use of chokeholds by the New York Police Department (NYPD), legislation with enough support to overcome a mayoral veto after it stalled after the killing of Eric Garner.[55][47] The Council also voted to require police to report on its surveillance of residents, to require officers to show badge numbers, and to create a new disciplinary matrix.[55][56]

On June 8, 2020, the Charlotte City Council passed Braxton Winston's legislation to ban the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department from funding new or existing chemical agents used in crowd control and dispersal, such as tear gas.[57] The Council also established a standing committee to scrutinize and adjust police spending and policy.[58]

On June 5, 2020, Portland Public Schools cancelled its school resource officers program with the Portland Police Bureau.[59]

On June 9, 2020, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced a series of police reforms, including disbanding the gun violence reduction unit, ending city officers' participation in the Transit Police, and reallocating money saved plus $5 million on initiatives "to help build the health, wealth and well-being of black people in Portland."[60]

House Democrats in Tennessee introduced the "George Floyd Act," a series of police reform amendments, but the bill is on hold until a Senate bill is heard in December 2020.[61]

On June 11, 2020, the Austin City Council unanimously approved a series of police reforms, including a ban on the use of "less lethal" munitions during protests, restrictions on the use of deadly force, and a direction to the city manager to propose reductions to the police department’s budget in 2021.[62]

On June 5, 2020, the Dallas Police Department implemented "duty to intervene" policy that required officers to act if they witnessed fellow officers using excessive force. [63]

On June 10, 2020, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner signed an executive order that limited the police ability to use excessive force and no-knock raids. [64]

The City of Bellevue announced on June 5, 2020 that it would no longer allow neck restraints.[65]

Mural in CHAZ

Following a large and peaceful demonstration on June 3, 2020, the City of Seattle announced several changes to its policing protocols, including restrictions on badge coverings for officers.[66] City Attorney Pete Holmes announced that the city would withdraw its request to lift a federal consent decree that had been imposed following a DOJ investigation in 2012.[67] The city government also announced a 30-day ban on the use of tear gas by police on protesters in response to outcry from Capitol Hill residents who had been affected by its use.[68] The ban did not apply to SWAT and other special officers, however, and tear gas was used the following day.[69]

On June 15, 2020, Seattle City Council passed Kshama Sawant's legislation to ban the use of chokeholds, including neck and carotid restraints.[70] The lawmakers also passed Sawant's ban on the use of crowd weapons by police, including tear gas, acoustic weapons, and water cannons, as well as Lisa Herbold's ban on badge mourning bands.[70]

On June 16, the Tacoma Police Department announced a commitment to reforms in line with the 8 Can't Wait campaign.[71] Police Chief Don Ramsdell said the department already had five of the eight requirements, but would commit to the other three: a ban on chokeholds, duty of officers to intervene when seeing others use excessive force, and require verbal warnings before use of deadly force.[72]

On June 11, 2020, leaders of Racine unanimously agreed to establish the Mayor's Task Force on Police Reform and to spend up to $47,500 out of the police department’s budget for listening sessions.[35]

On June 9, 2020, the Halifax Regional Council voted to cancel the order of an armored police vehicle and to reallocate the vehicle's $368,000 cost to the city of Halifax's diversity and inclusion office, public safety office, and anti-racism programs.[73]

On June 25, 2020, Mayor of Toronto John Tory tabled a motion to "detask" the Toronto Police Service in response to calls for police reform sparked by the police killing of Floyd and a series of similar incidents in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada, such as the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet.[74] Under the proposal, duties currently assigned to sworn officers would be assumed by "alternative models of community safety response" to incidents where neither violence nor weapons are at issue, such as some calls regarding persons suffering mental health crises, with the specific redirected duties and alternative models to be developed based on a report that the motion would commission.[74] The proposal would “commit that its first funding priority for future budgets [be] centered on a robust system of social supports and services" and make an itemized line-by-line breakdown of the police budget public; a reduction in the police budget would likely ensue, according to the motion.[74]