The only major difference is that the department does not currently require officers to exhaust all alternatives before shooting.ĭata and testimonials from police departments that have adopted the reform demonstrate a significant reduction in police killings, suggesting that Winston-Salem should follow suit.Ĭurrently, Winston-Salem’s police use of force guidelines permit the use of deadly force in two scenarios. For instance, the department has banned the use of chokeholds and strangleholds, required officers to warn suspects before shooting their firearms, strongly discouraged shooting at moving vehicles and required reporting of instances where force is used. While the language may be slightly different, the Winston-Salem police department subsequently adopted, in some form, most of the “8 can’t wait” reforms. Specifically, these eight reforms include requiring police to de-escalate situations banning the use of choke holds requiring officers to intervene and stop instances of excessive force banning officers from shooting at moving vehicles warning suspects before shooting developing a use of force continuum requiring officers to exhaust all options before shooting and mandating comprehensive reporting of situations where force is used.
WINSTON SALEM POLICE DEPARTMENT SERIES
These reforms colloquially known as “8 Can’t Wait,” are a series of guidelines designed to improve police accountability and reduce excessive use of force. In light of this, Winston-Salem’s Public Safety Committee passed a resolution on June 8 th in support of various reforms to police practices. The tragic death of George Floyd and fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor earlier this year has once again placed issues of when police choose to use lethal force and who they use it on back into the spotlight. “Hands up don’t shoot” became a rallying cry for police reform activists.
In 2014, the fatal shooting of Michael Brown started a national conversation surrounding police use of deadly force. Their work will be published throughout this week.īy: Jeremy Yu, a Duke University undergraduate student As part of a recent assignment, four students wrote op-ed-style articles examining the use of police force in some North Carolina jurisdictions, and researched opportunities for reform. Editor’s note: There are several Duke University and Duke Law students working with the Wilson Center for Science and Justice this semester, including some who are working on a “blog team.” Those students are learning about the intersection of the criminal system with communications.
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