JOHNSON, Arkansas — Police officers in Arkansas will now receive more annual training to combat the use of excessive force.
On Tuesday (April 20) Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill into law that aims to prevent excessive force amongst officers. This law comes on the same day the jury reached a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.
“The Bill requires that every officer, every department, every year, receive Duty to Intervene training, under the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) This is mandatory, which ensures it will always be part of the training every officer will receive, from seasoned veteran to the newest rookie,” said co-sponsor Craig Christiansen, Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in 1979.
Act 792, former House Bill (HB) 1865, will require training concerning a law enforcement officer's duty to intervene when they observe the use of excessive force by another law enforcement officer.
“HB1865 is an excellent step forward for law enforcement and the people of Arkansas,” Christiansen said.
NWA NAACP President Coby Davis said, “It’s where we need to be moving we need to start holding people accountable and possibly that’s what this could do."
The bill stemmed from the law enforcement task force after numerous protests and community conversations across the state asking for police reform.
“In Arkansas, we always continuously try to improve our training and some certification requirements for law-enforcement officers,” said Jami Cook, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Public Safety Director, Arkansas Division on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
“It places training at the forefront of the issues that arise in community interaction, and interaction between officers in any given situation,” Christiansen said.
Act 792 has much community support.
“It’s supported by law enforcement and the community, the Arkansas Sheriffs Association, Arkansas Sheriffs and Police Association and the department of public safety,” Cook said.
While the Northwest Arkansas branch of the NAACP is happy the state is being proactive, Davis says more needs to be done.
“I want to be optimistic but there’s some real change coming home I think I’m going to need to see more,” Davis said.
Davis says his organization will continue to push for change and open the door for conversation.
“We want to, we want to build trust we want Northwest Arkansas to be a very welcoming and comfortable place for everyone,” he said.
This training has always been required of officers as part of their initial training but will now be required annually.
“This is not new training. We been doing this training, the duty and obligation to intervene has been embedded in law enforcement since the ’80s. But this is just a way to emphasize it and make sure our officers receive the most up-to-date training on this subject,” Cook said.
“This Bill only enhances the comprehensive instruction our officers currently receive,” Christiansen said.
In efforts to start conversations with law enforcement and the community, the NWA NAACP will host a police panel including law enforcement representatives via zoom on May 17.
For more information about the panel and upcoming events, click here.
Click here to read the bill.