Rochester police officers now have a duty to intervene if they see another officer using what they believe to be unreasonable force on another person.
Changes posted Monday to the department’s policies also ban officers from using chokeholds except for “extreme circumstances where deadly physical force is authorized.” Chokeholds are also banned by state legislation.
Officers are now being told to intervene if they see another officer using “unreasonable force or other misconduct,” and they must report such activity to their supervisor, who must address the issue. Failure to intervene could lead to disciplinary action.
A statement from the department says these policies take effect immediately.