Gov. Bill Lee announces law enforcement reform

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee announced the Law Enforcement Reform Partnership on Thursday.

A news release from the Governor’s Office says the partnership aims to review policies, improve information sharing and increase officer training.

“The intent of this partnership is the desire to ensure law enforcement are consistently reflecting the values of the communities they serve,” said Gov. Lee. “Horrifying, preventable events across the nation have challenged us all to confront the difference between law enforcement and police brutality and also challenged us to examine troubling, inconsistent citizen experiences with law enforcement.”

Law enforcement agencies will have 60 days to review and update Use of Force and Duty to Intervene polices, according to the release.

The release says that policies should be updated to ensure choke holds are not used as a restraining technique, and that officers be required to act to prevent any act, even by officers, that violates the law or policy.

In addition, officers will now be required to undergo a minimum of 488 hours of enhanced curriculum training, according to the release. The release says the previous minimum was 400.

For more information on the Law Enforcement Reform Partnership, visit TN.gov.