Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields plans to file police reform legislation in response to George Floyd’s death. However, the current special session is limited to specific legislation that was outlined before Floyd’s death. But he has filed a resolution to create a 15-member task force to study police practices.
“To actually look at some of these very serious issues so that we can do a better job at in terms of policing the police so to speak,” said Fields
As for police reform legislation, Fields encourages police departments to act now before his bill is introduced in a possible special session in the fall or in the 2021 regular session. He wants to see policies that include a “duty to intervene” among officers.
“Giving officers the absolute obligation to intervene when they see another officer either violating another law or procedures,” says Fields.
Fields says his legislation will also call for a statewide ban on the use of chokeholds by law enforcement, psychological testing for both prospective and current officers on a routine basis and new regulations for body cameras.
“Officers ought not have the opportunity to turn on and off their camera when they’re interfacing with the public, and the department which they are serving for ought to be able to get that video in real-time,” says Fields.
Fields also wants to diversify the Police Officers Standards and Training Council. Currently, the council does not have any African American representation.
Reported by Brooke Thorington
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