Police reform bills continue to move through the state legislature. The latest is a measure requiring police and corrections officers to be aware of and responsible for the health of those they arrest or have in custody.
Speaker Carl Heastie says the bill addresses the issue that directly caused the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, where an officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. It requires those in law enforcement to protect those in their custody and “prevent needless suffering or death.”
The new law would also require police to be aware of the mental health needs of individuals in their custody.