COLUMBUS – In the wake of days of protests over the death of George Floyd and increased attention being paid to relations between America’s police and the communities they serve, the city of Columbus is committing to “8 Can’t Wait,” an initiative from Campaign Zero to bring change to police departments, perhaps even eliminating them altogether, according to some reports.
“We believe — and research shows — that more restrictive use of force policies can reduce violent interactions with police,” Mayor Andrew Ginther wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday.
Of the eight requirements the initiative asks police departments to sign on to follow, the Columbus Division of Police is already in compliance with four: a ban on chokeholds, required de-escalation, warnings before shooting and a use-of-force continuum that is aimed at making officers respond to situations with the appropriate amount of force.
Ginther says the city will work toward fulfilling the other four guidelines, which require officers to exhaust all alternatives before shooting, intervene in cases of officer misconduct, prohibits shooting at moving vehicles and require comprehensive reporting of incidents.