MONTPELIER — A Vermont House bill would call for police to use lethal force only when absolutely necessary and to make the investigation process after shootings more transparent.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Anne Donahue, a Republican, is based on a similar bill in California that was signed into law in August and is one of the strongest use-of-force laws in the country, WCAX-TV reported Tuesday.
The bill would call for police force only when absolutely necessary and when other human lives are at risk. There were several officer-involved shootings in Vermont in 2018 and 2019.
Donahue said the bill is about protecting people dealing with mental health crises.
“This is not based on a sense that there is a inappropriate use of force in Vermont — I think we have a very high standard of professionalism — but it is about the importance of public transparency and public confidence in how we review those situations when they occur,” she said.
Police contend that only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of calls received each year result in confrontation, with even fewer resulting in shootings.
Public safety officials recommend investing more in mental health services upfront to prevent such confrontations and recommend expanding programs that equip police departments with a social worker to better address issues as they arise.