Police reform bill would ban chokeholds

POLICE REFORM.

THE MEASUREINCLUDES A BAN ON CHOKEHOLDS.IT WAS DISCUSSED AT A COUNCILMEETING TONIGHT, AND IRECEIVED SOME PUSH BACK.WMAR-2 NEWS RAY IS LIVE ATCOUNTY POLICE HEADQUARTERS.RAY THIS MEETING ALSO GOTTENSE BETWEEN ONCE COUNCIMEMBER AND THE CHIEF?YES AND THAT TENSE EXCHANGEWAS BETWEEN COUNCILMAN JULIANJONES AND COUNTY POLICE CHIEFMELISSA HYATT.

JONES IS THEONE WHO INTRODUCED THE BILLAND SUGGESTED THE CHIEF WASNOT WILLING TO WORK WITH THECOUNCIL ON REFORM.

BUT THECHIEF PUSHED BACK SAYING SHEEMBRACED ACCOUNTABILITY, BUTIT CANHER OFFICERS.

DURING THEMEETING, COUNCILMAN JONESACCUSED CHIEF HYATT OF NOTHOLDING HER OFFICERSACCOUNTABLE.

HE SAYS THECOUNTY NEEDS TO PASSLEGISLATION TO CREATE NEWGUIDELINES AND ENFORCEPOLICIES THAT ARE ALREADY ONTHE BOOKS.

REFORMS IN THISBILLS INCLUDE MAKINGCHOKEHOLDS ILLEGAL, REQUIRINGOFFICERS TO REPORT EXCESSIVEUSE OF FORCE AND ADDITIONALDEESCALATION TRAINING.

CHIEFHYATT ARGUES SOME OF THECHANGES IN THE BILL ARECHANGES IN THE BILL ARENALREADY IN THE WORKSCHANGES IN THE BILL ARENDCHANGES IN THE BILL AREND SOCHANGES IN THE BILL AREND SOMEAREEADY IN THE WORKSARE ADY IN THE WORKSARE ALR IN THE WORKSARE ALREAN THE WORKSARE ALREADYTHE WORKSARE ALREADY PE WORKSARE ALREADY POLWORKSARE ALREADY POLICRKSARE ALREADY POLICIESARE ALREADY POLICIES.ARE ALREADY POLICIES.

LARE ALREADY POLICIES.

LASARE ALREADY POLICIES.

LASTMONTH, THE CHIEF AND THECOUNTY EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCEDSEVERAL REFORMS, INCLUDINGREPORTING EXCESSIVE USE OFFORCE AND CREATING A DATABASEON POLICE COMPLAINTS .

CHIEFHYATT AND OTHERS SAY THEY'RECONCERNED THAT THE BILL ASWRITTEN COULD PUT POLICE INDANGER.

JONES REJECTS THATIDEA, AND SAYS THIS BILLPROTECTS POLICE AND THECITIZENS THEY SERVE.

NOW,THERE WAS PUBLIC COMMENTPERIOD WHERE THE GRANDMOTHEROF KORRYN GAINES URGED FOR TCOUNCIL TO PASS THE BILLGAINES WAS SHOT AND KILLED BYPOLICE IN 2016, AFTER AN HOURSLONG STAND OFF WITH OFFICERS."...they need deescalationtraining." AND SOME OTHERCONCERNS ABOUT THE BILLINCLUDE THE DEFINITION OF USEOF FORCE AND MAKING ACHOKEHOLD ILLEGAL.

OPPONENTSBELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A MATTEROF POLICY AND NOT LAW.

NOWTHIS BILL WILL LIKELY CHANGEWITH SOME AMENDMENTS,.BUT THECOUNTY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TOVOTE ON IT NEXT WEEK, ONAUGUST 3RD.

LIVE IN BALTIMORECOUNTY RAY STRICKLAND WMAR-NEBALTIMORE COUNTY POLICEARRESTED SEVERAL PEOPLE INCONNECTION TO A FIGHT