Craig Futterman: Changes to CPD's Use-of-Force Policy Fall Short

Changes to CPD's Use-of-Force Policy Fall Short, Two Experts Say

Proposed changes by Chicago police to its policy on use of force fail to spell out that deadly force should be a last resort and fall short of other key goals such as limiting Taser use and improving transparency, two leading police reform experts say.

In comments submitted to the department Monday, Sheila Bedi, a professor with Northwestern University's MacArthur Justice Center, and Craig Futterman, a law professor at the University of Chicago, said the overhaul doesn't go far enough in spelling out clearly when officers can use force, particularly deadly force.

The policy should begin with the premise that physical encounters with civilians are appropriate only when there is probable cause for arrest or a public safety emergency, Futterman and Bedi said. The policy also needs to be clear that the department's highest priority is the sanctity of life and that deadly force is "a matter of last resort" used only to protect the lives of officers and citizens, they wrote.

Read more at The Chicago Tribune