INDIANAPOLIS — A bill focused on police oversight is on its way to the Indiana Senate.
House Bill 1006, which would add de-escalation training as a mandatory part of police departments' use-of-force training, passed the House on its third reading Tuesday. The de-escalation training would become a mandated part of "pre-basic training, mandatory in-service training and the executive training program," the bill states.
For officers in the field, the bill would make it a misdemeanor crime for an officer to intentionally turn off a body-worn camera while attempting to cover up a crime.
The bill also defines a "chokehold" and classifies it as an act of deadly force.
It also requires an agency that is hiring an officer to request that officer's personnel file from previous departments where the officer served. The previous agencies would also be required to provide that information upon request.
The author of the bill, Rep. Greg Steuerwald (R-Danville), said last month he received strong support for law enforcement agencies across the state when he authored the bill.
The bill's main sponsor wants to put a stop to officers who get in trouble, then move to another department, while being able to keep their disciplinary past secret.
Steuerwald also found support for the bill from across the political aisle. Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) co-authored the bill, especially for the focus on de-escalation training.
"I have a lot of respect for Representative Steuerwald," Shackleford said in January. "What we found was that law enforcement officers were using force too much and we have seen some disparities between the African American communities and officers using that use of force."
The bill also includes funding for the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy for making capital improvements.
