Sussex County prosecutor hosting ‘Police Use of Force’ webinar

The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office will be hosting a webinar to address questions and concerns residents may have about the current use of force policy by law enforcement.

The online town hall will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, July 27, where Francis Koch, county prosecutor, will convey information to the public about the current policy and what suggestions may be made to adjust it. He will also ask for input from the public on suggestions on revising the decades-old policy.

Broadly speaking, the use of force by police officers is described as “the amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject,” according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced on June 2 his plans to revise the state’s policy, which governs roughly 36,000 law enforcement officers and has remained unchanged since June 2000. The announcement came following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed after a white police officer was videotaped holding his knee on Floyd’s neck until Floyd fell unconscious.

Grewal has launched an online portal for the public to share their thoughts and concerns until it closes on Aug. 2: https://www.nj.gov/oag/force.

All 21 counties are also taking part in the process, with in-person or virtual events that will address residents’ thoughts on revising the policy. The policy addresses various tactics police use to subdue a suspect. Among those are chokeholds and neck restraints, which officers are prohibited from using except when deadly force is necessary, Grewal ordered on June 5.

The policy also addresses the use of police dogs; engaging subjects with mental illness or substance abuse issues; de-escalation techniques before the use of deadly force; use of non-lethal force, such as rubber bullets; and high-speed pursuits.

Questions and comments from the public during the Sussex County webinar will be shared with Grewal’s office.

While some states implement police reform on the local level, Grewal’s office has authority in issuing statewide policy directives to all law enforcement on the state, county and local levels.

Grewal said he hopes to release a revised policy before the end of the year.

To register for the free Sussex County webinar, visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2349244439934959371. Questions can be entered during the brief registration process.

Source: NJ Herald, https://www.njherald.com/news/20200721/sussex-county-prosecutor-hosting-rsquopolice-use-of-forcersquo-webinar?fbclid=IwAR0IHqD-2jUaJkjc2ndJ9doESNJOwtYNhvRrz5vp3BMYkBKtYLzjpOS1z5Y

Sussex County prosecutor hosting ‘Police Use of Force’ webinar

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