A local group who’s been in talks with the mayor’s office and the police department is submitting recommendations to reform the current policy.
The Black Clergy of Lincoln is recommending eight steps to take.
“We are not going to wait until we find ourselves in a situation where we have to deal with this because someone has died in Lincoln,” Pastor John Harris says. “That’s not what we’re waiting for.”
The group’s top priority is banning all chokeholds with no exception.
“We believe that it should have been banned with no exceptions. We’ve shared that with the mayor and the chief of police,” said Pastor Jessie Myles.
According to Myles, this is the biggest difference of opinion between his group and Chief Jeff Bliemeister.
Other recommendations to Police Order 1510 include:
- More specific definitions regarding lethal force, excessive force, and reasonable belief.
- More external review of police practices as it relates to the use of force in any capacity.
- The Citizens Advisory Police Board needs to be overhauled by being provided with more independence, investigative authority and punitive ability.
- The police chief and the mayor provide clear and demonstrable support for LB 1222.
- The use of de-escalation language within all areas of policing policies including general orders.
- Local expertise is utilized in any anti-bias training conducted for LPD.
- When conducting anti-bias training, it should include the use of current local and or national incidents as case studies.
“We are blessed to Lincoln, Nebraska,” Harris said at a Tuesday morning press conference outside the Hall of Justice.
“We don’t have a lot of the issues the other city’s have. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing to make sure we do not.”