BEVERLY HILLS—On Monday, June 8, the city of Beverly Hills released a statement acknowledging the need for discussion and transparency on policies and procedures regarding the use of force. One of the steps they are taking to achieve this initiative is comparing the Beverly Hills Police Department’s policies to “8CantWait” recommendations.
“8CantWait” was launched by Campaign Zero, a research-based platform with the mission of ending police brutality, to provide eight procedural rules that the campaign claims will decrease police violence. The hashtag for this campaign, #8CantWait, has been trending on social media, with endorsements from celebrities like Oprah and Ariana Grande.
“The average police department reviewed has adopted only three of the eight policies identified as placing clear restrictions on police use of force,” the study reported. “No police department has implemented all eight.”
The eight policies involve banning chokeholds, strangleholds and carotid restraints, requiring de-escalation, requiring warning before shooting, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, duty to intervene, banning shooting at moving vehicles, requiring use of force continuum, and requiring comprehensive reporting.
According to the 8CantWait website, the city of Beverly Hills only follows three of these policies: requiring warning before shooting, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, and requiring use of force continuum.
In the statement released from the BHPD, the police department claims to have additionally prohibited the use of chokeholds and strangleholds and suspended the use of carotid restraints. They also state that de-escalation techniques are regularly used, officers are required “to intercede to prevent the use of unreasonable force,” and written reports are required for every use of force.
According to the statement, BHPD policy states that officers are only allowed to shoot at a moving vehicle “when there are no other reasonable means available to address the threat of great bodily harm posed by the vehicle.”
The city has expressed a desire to listen to community feedback which can be provided at beverlyhills.org/TIP.
