32 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2017 this: “I can see that you’re very upset. Do you want to talk about it?” In Chicago, department higher-ups and city officials are hoping that a renewed focus on de-escalation can help the much-maligned law enforcement agency. The Chicago PD recently announced some pretty sig- nificant changes to training procedures that will empha- size the concepts of de-esca- lation and respect for the “sanc- tity of life.” Critics of use of force policies in C h i c a g o have been suggesting m o r e o f such train- ing for a long time, but those calls have grown in v o l u m e since the 2014 killing of Laquan Mc- Donald, who was shot 16 times as he moved away from officers. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson laid out the new policies during a recent press conference. Johnson says that each of Chicago’s more than 12,000 officers will be required to undergo “rigorous” training that involves a computer simulation. Then, coming this fall, of- ficers will have to attend a four-hour session followed by an eight-hour scenario- based course the following year. The policy will become e f f e c t i v e in the fall when of- ficers com- plete the first of the three-stage process. Despite being lam- basted and dismissed by many police as- sociations, t h e n e w approach in Chicago looks very much like the recommen- dations of PERF’s (Police Executive Research Forum) “30 Guiding Principles” for effective policing. Reaction to the PERF guidelines, much like the con- clusions of the for- mer President’s Commission on 21st Century Policing, reveal the current divisions in the law enforcement com- munity. Both the PERF re- port and the conclu- sions of the commis- sion are supported by nearly every big- city police chief in the country. Ontheotherhand, both reports were largely rejected by large law enforce- ment associations like the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Union of Police As- sociations. Needless to say, there will be tremendous resistance in Chicago, where officers routinely express feelings about being second- guessed, disrespected and ridiculed. The policies in Chicago call for the use of deadly force only as a last resort. Striking a subject’s head with an impact weapon and chokeholds will now be considered forms of deadly force. “Department members will seek to de-escalate situ- ations,” the new policies say, “and will not resort to force unless all other reason- able alternatives have been exhausted or would clearly be ineffective under the cir- cumstances.” Changes also include ac- countability measures. The new policies will require cops who witness violations of the policy to intervene and report the incident to a supervisor. Reactions to the changes from various camps are hardly surprising. Lori Lightfoot, chair of the Chicago Police Accountabil- ity Task Force, says she sees progress. “This is an important step in the right direction for the department and our city.” She said Johnson and his commanders had created a policy “that promotes the core value of sanctity of life, and will result in better, more frequent training for officers so that they have the right tools to engage with the public to keep themselves and citizens safe.” PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler applauded the Chicago PD’s boldness in trying to make tough changes. “Chicago’s made a huge jump here, and it really has “Department members will seek to de-escalate situations,” the new policies say, “and will not resort to force unless all other reasonable alternatives have been exhausted.” some of the best practices in the country.” Wexler went on to say that adopting these new poli- cies are the most significant changes in the last 20 to 25 years of policing. In the end, officers’ lives and citizens’ lives will be saved. “This is going to be a win-win for Chicago,” Wexler said. There was a lot of push- back expected from the FOP leadership in Chicago but at the time this was written they had not responded to media inquiries. Continued from page one UOF policy changes Like many big city agencies struggling to find qualified applicants, the recruitment ads in Chicago are about “change.” It’s easy to understand why young people in places where cops don’t make a living wage don’t want to be law enforce- ment professionals. What’s harder to figure out is why recruit- ment is such a challenge where the tax base is solid enough to support decent wages and benefits for police officers. • Removes weight of duty belt off hips and lower back • Enables you to perform at maximum standards • Helps keep shirt tucked in during physical activity • No need to adjust duty belt when exiting vehicle • No need to hold duty belt when engaging in foot pursuits No more back pain The Back Defender is the only concealed belt suspension system approved for police duty WWW"ACK$EFENSE3YSTEMSCOM   (or)