Arlington Police Adopt All '8 Can't Wait' Reform Policies

ARLINGTON, MA — The Arlington Police Department updated its use of force policy to require officers to intervene in situations where another officer is using unreasonable force. The policy change brings the department in line with all "8 Can't Wait" police reforms.

Police policy in Arlington already included many aspects of "8 Can't Wait," which encourages departments to adopt the following:

• banning chokeholds and strangleholds
• requiring de-escalation
• requiring officers to provide a verbal warning before shooting
• exhausting all alternatives before shooting
• implementing a duty to intervene
• banning shooting at moving vehicles
• requiring a use of force continuum
• requiring comprehensive reporting of all incidents that resulted in the threat or use of force

Arlington officers present at a scene where physical force is being used "must stop, or attempt to stop, another officer when force is being inappropriately applied or is no longer required for the safety of the officers or the public," according to the updated policy.

In addition, the department has updated its existing ban on neck restraints, as well as the requirements for officers to attempt to deescalate any situation and give a verbal warning before using force.

"Our use of force policy has for many years included characteristics of the 8 Can't Wait reforms, and we continuously review our internal policies to evaluate how they may be advanced to protect the welfare of all people," Chief Juliann Flaherty said in a statement. "Including the duty to intervene requirement reflects not only what the community expects from us, but also what we already expect of our officers on a day-to-day basis."

In 2019 the Arlington Police Department responded to 27,649 calls for service. There were zero complaints for use of excessive force, and there have been zero such complaints so far in 2020, the department said.

The Arlington Police Department is an accredited law enforcement agency under the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, a voluntary process that involves a self-assessment and verification by an outside team of reviewers that the department's policies and procedures are in line with best practices not only in Massachusetts but nationally as well.