ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta took a major step in its efforts to reform the Atlanta Police Department Tuesday, when the city adopted the “8 Can’t Wait” principles of police reform.
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.
The City Council approved legislation to adopted the principles and amended the Atlanta Police Department’s standard operating procedures to incorporate use of force alternatives during Monday’s remote Council meeting that continued into Tuesday.
The vote comes during a tumultuous week for the city that saw protests over the death of Rayshard Brooks turn violent, resulting in more than 30 people being wounded by gunfire, five deaths, including an 8-year-old girl, and Gov. Brian Kemp declaring a State of Emergency and sending the National Guard to the city.
