US Mayor call for total overhaul of US police training program

As Chicago, Illinois faces ongoing protests over its police force, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is set to announce changes in officer training, including a new policy that calls for every cop on street duty to carry a Taser by this
summer.

The new training program will emphasize teaching officers to try to de-escalate confrontations, rather than going in with a “shot or don’t shoot” mindset, the Chicago Tribune reported. It is unclear how the new procedures differ from current ones.

Emanuel is also expected to announce that all officers will be trained to use less-lethal Tasers by June 2016, and will be equipped with the electroshock devices before the start of their shifts.

The policy changes represent a “major overhaul” for the Chicago Police Department, Huffman said. The Chicago PD has been under fire in the wake of several high-profile police brutality cases, most notably the death of Laquan McDonald, a black teen who was shot 16 times by a white officer, even after he lay motionless on the ground. The shooting occurred last October, but dash-cam footage of the incident wasn’t released until November of this year, sparking outrage when the video contradicted official statements. Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with murder hours later.

Since the release of the video, protesters have been calling for change in the Chicago PD. Emanuel has taken some steps in that direction already, including forcing the resignation of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy on December 1. At the same time, the mayor also announced the creation of a police accountability task force assigned to “review the system of accountability, oversight and training that is currently in place for Chicago's police officers."