FORT VALLEY, Ga. — People across Central Georgia have been asking their local police departments when officers are trained to use excessive force and exactly what that consists of.
Fort Valley Police Chief Lawrence Spurgeon says his department was flooded with phone calls and messages this week.
He decided to post part of it on Facebook. "I just wanted to make sure we were being as transparent as possible," he says.
He says his officers carry standard items. "We have Tasers, we have pepper spray, and we do have batons. We train on when to use, how to use those means, also train on different restraint techniques."
In the post, he writes, "compressing the neck is not allowable under Fort Valley Police's use-of-force policy."
Spurgeon adds that once the handcuffs are on, there's no need for any force.
"You don't use force anymore unless the person is thrashing or spitting or doing something like that," he says.
In Dublin, Police Chief Tim Chatman says his officers are trained three to four times year.
He says his officers are also trained to use force only when necessary, like when a suspect is combative. Chatman says it's a policy he strictly enforces.
"Any type of behavior like that, you'll be terminated on the spot. There's nothing I gotta wait on, I gotta do it right away and I will do it right away," he says.
This new highlighted section of the procedures says "officers of the Dublin Police Department will not use the knee over the neck nor back of the head. Doing so will result in termination."
"Officers have to read and also sign to see that they read this to make sure there's no questions about it," says Chatman.
Both Spurgeon and Chatman say their force policies are available to the public, all you have to do is ask.
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