California’s big city mayors are pledging to overhaul policing amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf are among those pledging to support reform. While they are not embracing calls to “defund police,” they all agreed during an online forum this week to re-examine public safety funds and how police respond to situations.
During the forum, Steinberg lauded Los Angeles’ decision to halt planned budget increases for the police department and instead reinvest $250 million into community programs.
One of the reforms already catching steam is a ban on carotid restraints or chokeholds. The California Legislature is working on a bill that would ban the practice statewide. Meantime, more than a dozen local police departments in California have announced they’ll abandon the practice in recent days.