Three Democratic representatives introduced a series of bills aiming to promote police accountability in Georgia. The lawmakers said the bills were inspired by the death of Tyre Nichols after Memphis police beat him.
“There has been a number of high-profile cases that has caused a lack of trust in law enforcement, especially within the Black community,” Rep. Viola Davis (D – Stone Mountain) said. Davis, along with Rep. Sandra Scott (D – Rex) and Rep. Kim Schofield (D – Atlanta), sponsored the bills to address police accountability.
- House Bill 107, called the “Police Accountability Act,” would require law enforcement officers to wear body cameras during interactions and release the videos in some situations. It also requires the attorney general to publicly report use of force by police annually. HB 107 also would remove qualified immunity for police officers.
- HB 112, the “Ethical Policing Act,” would pave way for cities to create citizen review boards for law enforcement. The citizen review boards could examine complaints against law enforcement agencies and publish their findings publicly. It also requires law enforcement agencies to set up an “early warning system” to track complaints against officers. The bill would provide guidelines for ethical policing and reporting complaints.
- HB 113, named the “Preventing Tragedies Between Police and Communities Act,” requires basic training for police officers to teach verbal de-escalation techniques and use non-lethal force. It also would require training to recognize mental health issues and crisis intervention techniques.
Gerald Griggs, attorney and First Vice President of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP said specific policy action is necessary to prevent future cases of police brutality.
“Georgia needs to lead the nation in pro-action, and not reaction,” Griggs said. “After the death of Tyre Nichols, many in this House, including the governor and lieutenant governor, issued tweets. We want more than tweets. We want legislation and action and less thoughts and prayers.”
Earlier in the session, Rep. Tanya Miller (D – Atlanta) introduced additional legislation surrounding body camera use for law enforcement.
The lawmakers called for bipartisan support for the bills, but similar bills requiring body camera use have been unsuccessful in the Republican-controlled statehouse in past sessions.
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This article appears on Now Habersham through a news partnership with GPB News
