Miami-Dade police bans controversial chokehold. This is the beginning of reform, not the end | Editorial

Starting today, anyone involved in a confrontation with a Miami-Dade police officer will not be subdued with any type of chokehold, the department announced on Thursday.

Discarding this controversial form of controlling a suspect comes because many police leaders realize they can no longer ignore what so any citizens know: Excessive force is real. Camera phones are everywhere, and outraged Americans want police reform now.

We commend the Miami-Dade Police Department for finally taking action in response to a national cry for reform in how it treats the public — especially African Americans. Still, the revision was too long in coming and should be a beginning of reform, not an endpoint.

Needless to say, the change in policy comes on the heels of the death of George Floyd, who was brutalized — on video — by the Minneapolis police.

We watched Floyd’s life ebbing away, as now ex-police officer Derek Chauvin smugly knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Many police departments in South Florida and across the country are finally rethinking their restraint practices.

Police use two types of chokeholds: a carotid restraint, known as the stranglehold or sleeper hold, which is what Miami-Dade police had used. This temporarily stops blood flow to the brain and renders the person unconscious for a time, but it doesn’t cut off breathing. The second is the chokehold that restricts breathing by applying pressure to the windpipe.

As Eric Garner’s 2014 death in New York at the hands of an overzealous officer showed, the chokehold can be deadly. The rallying cry “I can’t breathe” comes from suspects like Floyd and Garner, who told police officers neck restraints was killing them.

Miami-Dade was among a few South Florida police departments that had still allowed its officers to use the carotid neck restraint to subdue suspects. Miami and Miami Beach police do not use them on suspects. Their departments were wise enough spot trouble early on.

“This decision was based on a multiple of factors to include officer and public safety, feedback from policing professionals, members of our community, local leaders and officials,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez said.

Other departments that continue to use neck restraints should follow the county police department’s lead. By late Thursday, Hialeah Police announced they, too, were suspending the use of chokeholds.

The police department will be asked to make more concessions. On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade Commission will consider recreating a civilian review panel, where complaints against officers will be reviewed by a 13-member panel with subpoena power. This last is important. Without it, the board will be a toothless tiger. For years, citizens have complained that the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights protects police officers from investigation and prosecution arising from conduct during official performance of their duties.

Critics say that these rights, which some states have turned into laws, make it impossible to discipline or remove bad officers, even after they have been convicted of felonies.

That’s why protesters want the creation of civilian review boards that provide true police oversight. Everyone else who wants more-accountable police departments should push to enact the same thing, including our county commissioners.

This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 6:00 AM.