On Jan. 17, the International Association of Chiefs of Police released their National Consensus Policy on Use of Force, a model policy for officers in the U.S. to follow when considering use of deadly force, reports The Washington Post. The IACP’s model policy includes de-escalation for the first time.
“An officer shall use de-escalation techniques and other alternatives to higher levels of force consistent with his training whenever possible and appropriate before resorting to force and to reduce the need for force,” the policy reads.
However, the new policy allows the use of warning shots — prohibited by many police departments in the U.S. The policy also condones shooting at moving vehicles, but only if the vehicle is being used with the intent to strike someone, or someone in the vehicle is threatening an officer.
This is the IACP’s second official issue of policy on use of force. The first policy did not allow for the use of warning shots or shooting at a moving vehicle.
The creation of the latest policy was led jointly by the IACP and the Fraternal Order of Police. Both groups came together with other national police organizations to shape the policy, including the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the National Organization of Women Law Enforcement Executives.
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