President Biden signs executive order on policing

President Biden has signed an executive order on Wednesday which will require new use-of-force rules for federal law enforcement.

“I’ve called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but Senate Republicans have stood in the way of progress. That’s why this afternoon, I’m taking action and signing an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades.” President Biden said on Twitter.

Executive order on policing

The executive order on policing comes after Congress still fails to agree on the George Floyd in Policing Act. George Floyd’s family was in attendance at the signing.

The executive order instructs federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and Customs and Border Protection, to revise their use-of-force policies.

According to administration officials, the new federal minimum standard will allow force “only when no reasonably effective, safe and feasible alternative appears to exist.”

The executive order on policing is a response to public outcry in recent years over police tactics including excessive use of force.

It forbids federal agents from using choke holds and carotid artery restraints “unless deadly force is authorized,” after a neck hold by a New York police officer caused the death of Eric Garner in 2014.

It will limit federal officers’ use of “no-knock warrants,” and will require federal law enforcement agencies to document publicly when and why they use no-knock warrants, and any injuries that result.

This new measure does not apply to local agencies but Biden encourages police departments to make similar changes.

Database of police officers fired for misconduct

The executive order also directs the Department of Justice to create a new “national law enforcement accountability database,” which would keep track of authenticated misconduct claims and disciplinary records of officers. Federal law enforcement will be required to submit their officers’ records to the database, and to used it when hiring new officers.

Local and state police agencies will be able to contribute to and consult the database.

Biden’s executive order on policing also re-imposes Obama-era restrictions on federal transfers of military-grade equipment to local police, new national standards for police accreditation, and requires the use of body cameras by federal officers.