The Chapel Hill Police Department has updated its policy regarding chokeholds following a request from the town council.
The town issued a statement Wednesday to address the police department’s failure to fully ban the use of chokeholds by its officers following a town resolution passed in June. The statement said while town officers have never been trained to use chokeholds and do not use them today, updates to policies “fell short” in implementing the town council’s request.
“The Chapel Hill Town Council along with our Town management, Police Department and staff,” reads the statement, “are fully committed to critically examining the role of racial bias and institutional racism in our Town as we work to improve community safety for everyone. ”
The revised policy now reads:
“We recognize that there are certain circumstances where the risk to the public and the preservation of life is paramount and must be taken into consideration. The use of neck restraints, carotid restraints, and chokeholds restrict the blood flow to the brain and may cause unconsciousness or death. Therefore, they are specifically prohibited.”
Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police officers, the Chapel Hill Town Council passed a resolution in June seeking changes to its own police. Some included requiring clear accountability for officers who violate its policies regarding its required dash and body cameras, as well as ending traffic stops for low-level violations and publishing more departmental reviews.
In its resolution, the council asks for a prohibition of choke holds as a tactic for restraining people or a self-defense. Some members of the Chapel Hill Town Council addressed this at their meeting on September 9. Council member Karen Stegman pointed out this practice was not explicitly banned in recent policy updates, but instead defined as an action of deadly force by officers.
In response, Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue said the change was made to follow other cities and towns reforming their own law enforcement tactics.
“We’re using language we know is more consistent with the [North Carolina] governor’s task force,” said Blue, “which has just come out with a couple of recommendations for policy related to these very issues. I believe it reflects the interest of council while also being practical in its application.”
Stegman said, however, she did not believe that was within the council’s interest, since the resolution specifically asked for the prohibition of choke holds.
“We’ve seen it used so many times across the country inappropriately and with tragic results,” she said. “I think that the council’s intent was to say, no, we don’t want this…period.”
Council member Jess Anderson advocated in June against a flat ban on choke holds. But she also voiced some confusion as to why the item would be shifted within the police department’s policies and why council would not be notified.
“I do have a concern that that’s not coming back with a question or being raised as something we should reconsider,” said Anderson, “and [instead] being brought back without flagging it for us. I will support my colleagues in saying I do believe we asked choke holds be banned all together.”
Council member Allen Buansi asked about the implementation of the halting of traffic stops for low-level violations and whether other towns are also making that change. When the response from Blue was no, he said that should not have stopped Chapel Hill from going further and banning choke holds.
“I just wonder about the inconsistency here,” said Buansi, “where with the choke hold prohibition language, you all have said that that is inconsistent with surrounding jurisdictions. And yet with the prohibition on low-level regulatory stops, no other jurisdiction does that.”
The council went on to unanimously approve a resolution for the town’s Reimagining Community Safety Task Force, which is now taking applications for members. More information about the board can be found on the Town of Chapel Hill’s website. Applications for the task force will be open through Monday, September 28.
The new language and revised policy can be found in its entirety on the Chapel Hill Police department’s website.
Photo via Town of Chapel Hill.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines