Ohio plans for police reform stall 2 years after George Floyd’s death

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – 19 Investigates took a take a look at the place state proposals for police reform stand, two years after the homicide of George Floyd by the hands of a police officer.

Ohio lawmakers on either side of the aisle proposed concepts like implicit bias coaching, banning chokeholds, and forming an unbiased police oversight board, again in the summertime of 2020.

However up to now, most of those concepts haven’t moved.

“I do know that since George Floyd’s killing, within the custody of the police division, there was some good that got here out of it, however there’s nonetheless an extended method to go,” mentioned State Consultant Thomas West, a Democrat from Stark County.

West can also be president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.

We spoke with West again in 2020, after he unveiled a number of police reform payments simply weeks after George Floyd’s demise.

We checked in with him once more final summer season, when a lot of them stalled.

We discovered some proposals did materialize, together with West’s invoice to require recording of police interrogations for many main felonies.

The brand new public use of power database was additionally rolled out by the Ohio Legal professional Normal’s Workplace.

And a fee to deal with police coaching was created too.

“So it’s time that we not solely proceed to offer the coaching for cops, additionally makes sure that the police power is a make-up of their neighborhood and understands their neighborhood and isn’t frightened of their neighborhood,” West mentioned.

Consultant West additionally needs to see extra transparency and accountability.

The payments he launched on the Ohio Statehouse would:

• Ban the chokehold
• Prohibit police quotas
• Monitor police officer employment historical past
• Create psychological well being groups to help police
• Require officers to have physique and sprint cameras

A few of these concepts have gotten assist from throughout the aisle.

Governor Mike DeWine and Legal professional Normal Dave Yost known as on the final meeting to behave practically two years in the past.

They requested for a police oversight board, unbiased use of power investigations, and banning chokeholds, together with a number of different proposals.

However most of these concepts had been by no means launched as payments by lawmakers.

Earlier this yr, Governor DeWine unveiled practically $5 million in grant funding for native police departments to purchase and keep physique cameras.

We reached out to his workplace for a touch upon police reform progress, however now we have not heard again.

West instructed us he’s hopeful police reform in Ohio continues to be coming.

“So I do consider there’s numerous room for us working collectively so as to have the ability to handle this difficulty as soon as and for all,” West mentioned.

West was lately on a fee to deal with police coaching and funding throughout the state.

He mentioned they need to be placing out a report quickly with some suggestions.

Copyright 2022 WOIO. All rights reserved.