Legislation instituting a series of policing policy reforms clears a Senate committee and is headed to the Senate floor.
One of the reforms would largely prohibit the execution of no-knock warrants at nighttime. State Police Lt. Robert Burns said LSP backs the change and noted it’s already being phased out of use.
“We do a lot more of what is called a surround and call out where we protect all entrances and exits of a property and we use as many tactics as we can to try and gain communication with occupants of the property,” said Burns.
The bill by Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields also mandates a strict policy be established on body and dash camera usage, mandates duty to intervene training, and restricts the authority to utilize chokeholds.
Norco Senator Gary Smith said placing strict limits on nighttime no-knock warrants comes after several incidents in other parts of the country ended in tragedy. Nighttime no-knock warrants would still be permitted in some situations, but only with additional and specific judicial approval.
The legislation received unanimous approval in a Senate Judiciary Committee, but Shreveport Senator Greg Tarver told Fields that he’s not comfortable with the proposed limits on night-time no-knocks.
“You and I need to have a discussion about this night because let me tell you that most things happen bad at night, you know?” said Tarver. “Does that make any sense that they can’t go in the night? Crime happens at all times.”
The bill is the result of a legislative task force comprised of lawmakers, community leaders, and law enforcement officials from multiple agencies that was formed last summer in the wake of nationwide anti-police brutality demonstrations.
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