ATLANTA — On the heels of protests over the deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks at the hands of police officers, Atlanta is considering implementing the “8 Can’t Wait” principles of police reform backed by many of the protesters.
The Atlanta City Council will consider legislation during Monday’s remote meeting to adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” principles and amend the Atlanta Police Department’s standard operating procedures to incorporate use of force alternatives.
The “8 Can’t Wait” platform is part of Campaign Zero, a police reform initiative launched in 2015. The reforms in the legislation aim to improve community interactions with the police and reduce the number of violent encounters through the following principles:
• Banning chokeholds and strangleholds
• Requiring de-escalation strategies
• Requiring a warning before shooting
• Exhausting all alternatives before shooting
• Duty to intervene (from other officers)
• Banning shooting at moving vehicles
• Requiring use of force continuum
• Requiring comprehensive reporting involving use of force against civilians.
