A wave of change has gripped the nation since George Floyd’s death, provoking many to reconsider the way the criminal justice system works. Now more than ever, law enforcement officers are under pressure to begin catalyzing change that will preserve justice, and protect those who it has unfairly victimized for too long.
San Diego hears the protests loud and clear. San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit announced an immediate ban on the usage of carotid restraint—chokeholds, for the layman—as a tactic.
“I hear the community loud and clear,” Nisleit said. “We’ve had these discussions over the last years… We know the carotid restraint makes people very angry.”
Mayor Kevin Faulconer spoke out in support of the change. “We are watching the hurt and pain so many people are expressing after the tragic death of George Floyd and are committed to taking new actions to make sure something like this doesn’t happen in San Diego,” Faulconer said. “That starts today with the police chief’s decision to immediately stop this particular restraint that has led to so much concern and frustration by many in our minority communities.”
Both leaders emphasized the need to work with minority communities to pursue justice and equality, while strongly maintaining that unlawful behavior—especially the rioting and looting across the nation—will not be tolerated.
