The Monona Public Safety Committee on Nov. 26 voted to forward recommended updates to the Monona Police Department use-of-force policy to the full City Council for formal approval.

Police leadership said the revisions come from Lexipol, the department's policy-management provider, and are mainly language polishing: neutral pronoun usage and clarified terminology. The chief told the committee the edits do not change statutory obligations or how officers are expected to act but are intended to align policy language with state statute and existing definitions.

A community member raised concern that substituting terms could affect the policy's intent. The police chief responded that he had struck the language "serious physical injury" and "inserted 'great bodily harm'" to match statutory language and to ensure consistency with the policy's defined terms. Committee members asked whether phrasing such as "imminent danger of death" or "imminent risk of death" should be standardized; the chief agreed consistency could be addressed in wording edits.

Committee members discussed Lexipol's role; the chief said Lexipol issues recommended changes to many agencies and agencies may adopt or decline those recommendations. He noted some Lexipol suggestions reflect accreditation expectations that may not be practical for smaller departments.

A committee member moved to submit the recommended policy changes to the council; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee agreed to send the edited policy language and recommended packet to council counsel for final review and formal council action.