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SALT LAKE CITY — The Council on Criminal Justice Task Force on Policing released its first set of policy assessments Wednesday, recommending changes it says will reduce incidents of excessive force by police and improve racial equity in policing.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera is one of 11 task force members from across the country who agreed unanimously on the recommendations.
The task force's three assessments released Wednesday encourage law enforcement agencies nationwide to ban choke holds, end or restrict the use of no-knock warrants, and require that officers intervene when they see colleagues using excessive force.
The issue of choke holds and neck restraints, as well as no-knock warrants, came front and center last summer after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police.
In an emailed statement, Rivera told KSL.com she is proud of the task force's work so far.
"I am encouraged that the three evidence-based and consensus-driven policy assessments published by the Task Force will help move policing forward," she said. "The discussions we had were tough but respectful; we considered the data, the research, and the expertise of all 11 members. I am hopeful that these assessments can help law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and community advocates here in Utah as we consider legislation this session. We can maintain public safety while making changes to policies and our culture to provide the best community policing services possible.
"I look forward to continuing my work with the task force as we work to develop additional assessments over the next few months."
Rivera also participated in a virtual panel discussion Wednesday when the assessments were released.
"The culture of policing can be changed," Rivera said. "I don't want people to think that all police agencies are not following the rules, because they are. I have fired people myself. So, I think it depends on the leader and who they are and how they hold people accountable. Once you hold people accountable, it starts to change the message across the board, and it does change the culture."
She explained that choke holds have already been banned in Utah after the Legislature passed HB5007 in a special session last year.
"Many of the agencies have already worked on changing their policies," she said, "and what's happening across the board is, agencies that have changed their policies have offered to share those policies with smaller agencies that may not have the resources."
Choke holds and neck restraints are "dangerous," she said, and keeping the public safe comes down to the quality of training officers are provided. "I think the majority of police chiefs across the nation agree that without the proper training these holds don't work. And we want to save lives," Rivera said. "So if somebody has lost their life because of one, we have to do everything we can to make things better, and I think a ban is the way to go."
"As a member of @CouncilonCJ Task Force on #Policing, I'm proud to share our first set of policy assessments. These recommendations can support enhanced safety for officers & community members. Read our complete #CCJPolicing reports: https://t.co/UgWenCkI6e"– Sheriff Rosie Rivera
— Unified Police Dept (@UPDSL) January 28, 2021
Utah has changed its policy on no-knock warrants over the years but has not implemented an outright ban. A bill sponsored by Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City, would further restrict the practice. It is under consideration at the Legislature.
Salt Lake City implemented policy updates to its department last year requiring officers to attempt de-escalation tactics and intervene when colleagues aren't following them. "Any officer who reasonably believes another officer is about to use force or other action that is illegal ... must, absent extraordinary circumstances, do whatever they can to interrupt the flow of events," Mayor Erin Mendenhall explained.
The Task Force on Policing was created in November 2020 by the Council on Criminal Justice and is comprised of members from law enforcement, advocacy groups, politics and academia. It reaches policy goals by consensus and will release more proposals throughout early 2021.
