City Bans Police Chokeholds, Approves Unbiased Policing Measures

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — The city of Tuscaloosa has officially banned the use of police chokeholds and vascular neck restraints, along with implementing a sweeping first set of changes under the new Project Unity initiative from City Hall.

The Tuscaloosa City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the new policies, which incorporates a set of "unbiased policing" standards to ensure fair and impartial treatment of those interacting with TPD officers, in addition to creating a system that will allow officers to report misconduct on the part of their supervisors or fellow officers.

"It's fair and impartial treatment for all citizens of Tuscaloosa," Police Chief Brent Blankley summarized to the Council during Tuesday's regular meeting. "You can’t treat somebody different because of their age, gender or race."

Blankley said the approach to unbiased policing was already a point of focus in the department, but expressed the need for the directive to appear in a city ordinance to underscore the city's serious approach to the issue.

As for the city's ban on police chokeholds, Blankley said they have been prohibited for a long time at the police department, but vascular neck restraints were allowed.

"You’re seeing that all across the country," he said. "We want our officers to protect themselves but be as safe as possible while we do it."

Patch previously reported that the ordinance defines a chokehold as "a physical maneuver that restricts the blood flow to the brain and/or individual's ability to breath for the purposes of incapacitation."

A violation of the chokehold ban, according to the amended city code, would be punished as a "Class A offense" under the City of Tuscaloosa's Employee Discipline Policy. Class A offenses can range from on-duty DUIs in a government vehicle to major ethics violations and felony crimes, all of which are punishable by termination on the first offense.

The third component passed Tuesday will see the implementation of a duty to intervene on the part of all officers in the department.

"If you see an officer doing something they’re not suppose to do, it's your job, regardless of rank, to step in and stop that and we’re very serious about that in the police department."

The policy, as it is written, also prohibits retaliation against TPD employees who report potential abuse or participate in the investigation of the complaint of misconduct. The ordinance says those involved in retaliatory action will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

As part of Project Unity, a kick-off meeting will be held today at the Tuscaloosa River Market.