Councilmembers to introduce legislation on Police Use of Force

In a statement released on social media, Councilmembers Jawando, Rice, Navarro and Albornoz stated that they will be releasing legislation that will limit police Use of Force. Below is their full statement, reprinted.

Statement of Councilmembers Jawando, Rice, Navarro and Albornoz Related to Use of Force Legislation

The last few weeks have highlighted a national trend of the types of policing practices that have led to fatal or dangerous outcomes for the community, and specifically community members of color. Here in Montgomery County we are not immune. We believe we can do better. And doing better means building systems that root out injustice and working with law enforcement to build relationships with the communities they serve. We need our police to be our guardians, not warriors seeing danger in every interaction.

Most recently, the County Council has sought to ensure racial equity, social justice and inclusion throughout our county. The Council has also worked hard to increase transparency and accountability in the actions of the Montgomery County Police Department. This is supported by County legislation including the Racial Equity and Social Justice Act, the Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency (LETT) Act, Policing Advisory Commission, the Community Policing Law, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act and the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission.

Together in the coming weeks, we will be introducing legislation to further protect the civil rights of county residents, increase police accountability and create safer and more inclusive communities for everyone who calls Montgomery County home. Specifically, our bill would set a higher standard for use of force by police, outlaw certain deadly tactics such as choke-holds, and require police officers to intervene if a fellow officer is committing a crime or violating department policy. We look forward to working with the County Executive and the Montgomery County Police Department on this initiative. These measures are a necessary step intended to protect the safety of residents during interactions with law enforcement, which will in turn help to build trust with law enforcement.