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Georgia state lawmakers propose police accountability reforms after Tyre Nichols' death

Updated  February 16, 2023 8:37pm EST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia lawmakers looking at multiple police reforms

Police reforms could come to Georgia if some state lawmakers get their wish. The calls for change come after the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. A group rallied in support of four proposed laws in hopes of getting some attention.

ATLANTA - Three Georgia state representatives have responded to the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee by introducing new legislation they say will hold law enforcement in Georgia accountable.

Reps. Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, and Viola Davis announced their sponsorship of three new bills: House Bill 107, House Bill 112, and House Bill 113.

"We will no longer allow the lack of oversight, accountability, and transparency to be the norm in law enforcement. No one gets a pass when lives continue to be intentionally taken. Georgians deserve better," said Rep. Schofield said in a statement.

The first bill would require all Georgia law enforcement agencies to provide a body camera to each officer.

The cameras would have to be turned on during every interaction with the public, with the certain footage released.

The bill also would remove qualified immunity, which protects officers from lawsuits alleging wrongdoing.

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An Atlanta watchdog group said police officers in this city cross the line on occasion during encounters with citizens. But one member of the group told FOX 5 he had never seen anything in Atlanta like what happened in the released bodycam footage of Memphis police officers brutally beating Tyre Nichols.

"The Georgia citizens, especially the Black community, were confronted with high profile cases that demonstrated a lack of ethics, accountability, transparency, and justice with law enforcement.  Many of the high-profile cases have resulted in police officers receiving criminal charges of murder, thus placing a cloud over those in law enforcement that strive to do right and operate lawfully," Rep. Davis said. "We must rebuild and restore trust in law enforcement, especially within the black community."

House Bill 112, also known as the Ethical Policing Act, would require the state establish a uniform method of reporting and establish citizen review boards of police departments statewide.

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Among the other things it requires would be the authorization of a four-strike system of misconduct and the establishment of annual reports of complaints and misconduct.

The third piece of legislation, known as the Preventing Tragedies Between Police and Communities Act:, would require deescalation training for all peace officers every year and emphasize non-lethal and crisis intervening strategies.