PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department has made over 44 substantive changes to its proposed policy that outlines when, how, and why officers shall employ violent force on a citizen.
After releasing an initial draft of the use-of-policy back in January, the agency made a number of revisions and is now seeking public feedback on the adjustments.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes between the two drafts is the elimination of a section on when officers shall use force on children.
The January draft ends with a section stating that actions used to detain an adult may "not be reasonable, necessary, and proportional when used on a child."
"When force against a child or young person is Necessary, consider the specific characteristics of the child or young person including apparent age, body size, and relative strength of the child or young person," the January draft states.
The updated draft makes no mention of using force on juveniles.
Another notable change is how the updated draft defines the core principle of using force on citizens.
The January draft defines that principle with the following:
"Employees shall use only the force that is reasonable, necessary, and proportional to effectively and safely resolve an incident. The employee will immediately reduce the level of force as the threat or resistance diminishes."
The updated draft adds to that definition by stating the following:
"Employees shall use only the force that is objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional to effectively and safely resolve an incident. Employees are permitted to use force to control subjects in the course of their official duties as authorized by law, and in defense of themselves and others. In doing so, an employee shall use only the force that is objectively reasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting him/her at the time force is applied."
The updated policy also removes the term "fighting stance" from how it defines "active aggression."
Another change is the addition of language stating that "proper use of force is essential for ensuring impartial policing and for building trust in the community."
Use-of-Force policy from May 2023
Use-of-Force Policy from January 2023
Phoenix police are accepting feedback on the draft policies until June 23. Once the policy has been finalized, then it will go into effect in early 2024.
More info can be found here.