New Haven police update their use of force policy

WSHU | By John Kane

Published December 19, 2021 at 3:25 PM EST

Officials In New Haven, Connecticut, have modified the city’s police use of force policy. Now officers can only use force when it’s necessary and not just when it’s legally justified.

The change brings the city’s policies in alignment with the new statewide standards. The catalyst for the new policy was a provision in the July 2020 state police accountability bill. That moved statewide standards from justified to necessary.

The new policy also raises the threshold for when a supervisor is required to file a report in use of force cases. Now, a supervisor must submit a report for any use of force or display of force. That includes cases where an officer points a firearm at a suspect.

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