San Luis Obispo police suspend use of carotid restraints
San Luis Obispo’s police department has suspended the use of carotid restraints as part of a review on the department’s practices.
Carotid restraint is a method of securing a person by compressing the sides of the neck where the carotid arteries are located.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department is reviewing its practices at the San Luis Obispo City Council meeting on Tuesday. A report on its practices is available on the city’s website.
The review comes as the result of questions posed by the community on the department’s practices in light of the ongoing national discussion about racism and police brutality.
In recent weeks, Black Lives Matter protests have swept the nation and San Luis Obispo County, with thousands gathering to demand changes at police departments.
According to a city news release Monday, the report addresses questions posed by San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon and community members including R.A.C.E. Matters SLO.
“The senseless and shameless killing of Mr. George Floyd is an unfortunate reminder of systemic injustice in society that must be addressed,” San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell said in the release. “Our department acknowledges there is further work to do and values its community relationships.”
The report includes information on de-escalation training and policies, requirements for officer intervention and other topics related to use of force, according to the release.
As a part of the review of practices, Cantrell halted the use of the carotid restraint. She added that chokeholds and strangleholds have never been allowed by the department.
A carotid restraint puts pressure on a person’s arteries, halting blood circulation to the brain, while a chokehold puts pressure on a person’s windpipe, blocking off air supply.
According to the release, the police department meets six of eight #8CantWait policies that law enforcement departments have been encouraged to adopt in recent weeks to reduce killings by police, such as Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody.
Those policies include requiring officers to de-escalate situations where possible, give verbal warning before use of force, exhaust all other options before moving to deadly force, intervene and stop excessive force by other officers, and establish a force continuum that creates clear policy direction on when types of force are to be used and report each time they threaten or use force against a civilian.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department says it feels it meets the intent of the two final #8CantWait policies — banning all neck restraints and banning shooting at moving vehicles — though it does not have specific policies that match.
The community is encouraged to review the report and participate in the remote City Council meeting. Comments can be sent via email at council@slocity.org by 3 p.m. Tuesday, mailed to the City Clerk at 990 Palm St., San Luis Obispo or pre-recorded by calling 805-781-7164.
Comments can also be shared during the meeting.
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 1:47 PM.
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