A national advocacy group pushing for eight use-of-force policies to curb police violence has found at least 12 Michigan police departments do not have the standards in place.
In partnership with MLive, the 8 Can't Wait campaign reviewed the policies of Michigan State Police and departments in Detroit, Lansing, Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Flint, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Muskegon, Jackson and Bay City.
The group advocates for police departments to:
• Require de-escalation.
• Employ a use of force continuum that dictates what levels should be used in each different situations.
• Ban chokeholds and strangleholds.
• Require a verbal warning before potentially deadly force.
• Ban shooting at moving vehicles, except in cases where occupants are using deadly force (not including the vehicle).
• Require the exhausting of all other means before shooting.
• Require officers to intervene when fellow officers use excessive force.
• Require comprehensive reporting of uses of force, including pointing a gun at someone without firing.
Detroit met only half of the standards, according to the review. Its police department does not require de-escalation, restrict shooting at moving vehicles, require officers to intervene or require comprehensive reporting of uses of force.
Michigan State Police met none of the standards, the group found.
