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Council adopts revised use‑of‑force policy after months of review; removes 'strive to' and clarifies 'minimum' standard
Summary
After lengthy public comment and debate, Berkeley's council adopted amendments to the city’s police use‑of‑force policy: council removed the phrase 'strive to' and clarified the minimum‑force definition as 'the least amount of force within the range that is objectively reasonable and objectively necessary.' The change was adopted after the Police Review Commission and department presented competing language; council sought a compromise that preserves accountability while acknowledging training realities.
The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday adopted amendments to the Berkeley Police Department’s use‑of‑force policy after a lengthy public process and many hours of testimony.
The Police Review Commission recommended deleting the phrase "strive to" from two paragraphs in the draft policy, arguing it weakened the standard and could create a subjective loophole. PRC Chair Katie Calavita told the council the commission voted 8–1 to remove the phrase and keep a…
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