Cleveland residents and law enforcement officials discussed proposed use-of-force changes Tuesday evening as part of the city’s consent decree with the Justice Department. The consent decree monitor is seeking public input into this part of the police department reform effort.
About 80 people participated in the roundtable discussion at the Urban Community School on the city’s westside. One of those attending, Lynette Turner, says she wants police to be more selective in using force.
“And that’s one of the biggest concerns because I see that a lot, that they are, that in some cases, excessive force is used before considering just to deescalate the situation. Or to delve a little deeper to see if there is something that could work better than excessive force.”
Using “de-escalation” tactics before resorting to force where the threat is low is one of the proposals under consideration. Officers also would be required to consider a suspect’s size, gender, age and apparent medical or mental conditions when deciding how much force is necessary. Other participants voiced concerns about finding better ways to recruit and vet police officers, and improving communication between police and the community.
