Earlier this week, Governor John Carney announced he will sign an executive order banning choke holds. The announcement came at his weekly covid-19 update.
Wilmington (DE): “Next week, I will sign an executive order to ban the use of choke-holds at the Delaware State Police and Capitol Police, and require additional de-escalation training. We will stop posting mugshots of children, mandate participation in the national use-of-force database, and increase crisis intervention training and mental health services for police officers.”, Carney said. “These are first steps that we can take administratively to improve the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color.”
Carney added, “Talk is cheap. We are committed to moving forward productively – and in good faith – to make real change in Delaware. That starts with recognizing our shared history, and learning the lessons of the past.”
“Governor Carney demonstrated real leadership today. Banning chokeholds, ending the practice of ruining kids’ lives by posting their mugshots online while they are presumed innocent, participating in the national use-of-force database, and implementing greater officer training are all concrete improvements that bring us closer to an ideal of justice.,” said Delaware State Attorney Kathy Jennings. “As the governor has said, talk is cheap, and I’m proud that he’s used his authority to achieve progress at a time when each of us is called to action. It’s a testament to the hard work and eloquent pleas of countless advocates, and a reminder of how much our little state can do when we are determined to act.”
Jennings added, “Our duty now is to expand on his work, because the job is far from finished. The governor’s reforms deserve to be codified and made statewide, and we need to continue to advance the cause by reforming Delaware’s use of force standards; funding and deploying body cameras across the state; establishing civilian review boards with subpoena power; and making sensible changes to the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights to ensure accountability and transparency. This is real progress. Let’s keep it up.”
