KETTERING — A new policy at the Kettering Police Department went into effect in June that says an officer or employee of the department “has the duty to intervene...to either stop or attempt to stop an officer when force is being inappropriately applied or is no longer required.”
The new policy is one of several the city’s police department outlined in a letter from Chief Christopher Protsman, which was posted on Facebook.
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The development of the policy came in the month following the death of George Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minneapolis at the end of May.
“After the senseless act that occurred in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding police policies and procedures, training and accountability,” said Protsman. “Now, more than ever, we need to bring police organizations and our communities together as there is nothing more important than trust, mutual respect and understanding.”
In addition to the new policy, Protsman also outlined other policies including the following:
- Ban choke holds, policy in place since 2015
- Require de-escalation techniques prior to resorting to physical force, policy in place since 2016
- Require a warning before shooting, policy in place since the early 1990s
- Require officers to exhaust all alternatives before shooting, police in place since 2008
- Ban on shooting at or from moving vehicles, police in place since 2008
- Require a use of force continuum, policy in place since 2016
- Require comprehensive reporting on any use of force incident, policy always has been in place
Protsman said Kettering officers are required to receive at least 1297 hours of training before beginning to patrol on their own.