Public Safety Committee forwards Monona police use-of-force policy update to council

The Monona Public Safety Committee on Nov. 26 voted to forward recommended changes to the Monona Police Department’s use-of-force policy to the City Council for approval. The committee’s action followed a presentation by the Police Chief, who described the edits as a language alignment with statutory standards rather than a change in everyday practice.

The Police Chief said the recommendations came from Lexipol, the department’s policy-management provider, and that the proposed revisions include neutralized pronouns and wording that matches state statute. "This is a policy update; I wouldn't say that it's anything substantial in terms of practice," the Chief said, adding that the changes are intended to make the policy language clearer and consistent with law.

A central change the Chief highlighted replaces references to "serious physical injury" with the statutory term "great bodily harm." The Chief explained that "great bodily harm" represents a higher threshold than the phrasing the committee previously used, and that the change aligns the policy’s definitions with those already listed in the department’s definitions section. Committee members asked for minor consistency edits—such as harmonizing phrasing like "imminent danger of death"—and the Chief agreed to incorporate those adjustments before council review.

Committee members discussed that Lexipol issues standardized updates used by many agencies and that adopting or declining particular recommendations is within local control. The committee voted to forward the recommended policy changes to the City Council; final adoption requires council approval.

What happens next: The policy will be sent to the City Council for consideration and final action. The committee’s vote was a recommendation, not a final ordinance.