We're very encouraged by the response of Former Chief Holt and others in wake of the recent news regarding police reform.   However we know that not all police departments have adopted the same reforms and that there will soon be a newly elected Chief of police.  So as members of the body of Christ we feel this is an opportunity to move forward together for the betterment of our community.  

The bible admonishes the followers of Christ that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Just as the human body cannot function without the spirit, our convictions are fruitless if not put to action. As we view countless images of police brutality, protests, and entire cities on fire, we acknowledge that these things are occurring because we have historically allowed them to occur. Simply put, it’s time for the body of Christ to do something. Accordingly, we call upon all McLennan County law enforcement agencies to adopt the same specific, life-saving, reforms which have already been promoted by several other law enforcement agencies. Further, we invite our brothers and sisters in the household of faith from every local congregation to adopt this resolution calling for accountability in our local law enforcement as follows:  
Whereas as a church body, we are thankful for the good men and women that work so hard to keep our community safe;

Whereas we are encouraged to see several local law enforcement agencies have used social media to express their general agreement with the #8CantWait agenda proposed by Campaign Zero (https://8cantwait.org/);
Whereas we are simultaneously grieved to witness the needless loss of human life at the hands of
abusive, or improperly trained, officers;
Whereas despite vast funding, training, and resources made available to law enforcement, history
repeatedly proves that what has happened recently in Minneapolis, and so many other American cities, can also occur in our town; and
Whereas, we, Pastors and citizens of McLennan County, understand that every
man, woman, and child is made in the image of God, and that our creator is grieved by injustice; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that every law enforcement agency operating in McLennan County should formally adopt the following practices, as well as the specific definitions and rationale applied to them as follows:

BAN CHOKEHOLDS AND STRANGLEHOLDS
No officer may impede the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of a person by applying pressure to the person's throat or neck or by blocking the person's nose or mouth;

REQUIRE DE-ESCALATION
Officers are required to de-escalate situations, where possible, by communicating with subjects, maintaining distance, and otherwise eliminating the need to use force;
Officers are required to have, and report, no less than 40 hours of de-escalation training for satisfactory compliance with TCLEOSE certification each year;
Officers are required to have, and report, no less than 40 hours of implicit bias training for satisfactory compliance with TCLEOSE certification each year;

REQUIRE WARNING BEFORE SHOOTING
Officers are required to identify themselves as police officers upon making entry into any residence, building, or structure when executing warrants;
Officers are required to give a verbal warning in all situations before using deadly force;

REQUIRES OFFICERS TO EXHAUST ALL ALTERNATIVES BEFORE SHOOTING
Officers are required to exhaust all other alternatives, including non-force, and less lethal force options, prior to resorting to deadly force;
Officers are required to wound, rather than kill, where such an option is feasible;

DUTY TO INTERVENE
Officers are required to intervene and stop excessive force used by other officers and report these incidents immediately to a supervisor.

BAN SHOOTING AT MOVING VEHICLES
Officers are prohibited from shooting at moving vehicles in all cases

REQUIRE USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM
Every law enforcement agency within McLennan County must establish a Force Continuum that restricts the most severe types of force to the most extreme situations and creates clear policy restrictions on the use of each police weapon and tactic.

REQUIRE COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING
Officers are required to report each time they use force or threaten to use force against civilians;
Officers are required to write an incident report, which will be made public record, in every instance that their gun is unholstered;
Officers are required to write an incident report, which will be made public record, in every instance that their firearm is pointed at someone, as well as any other type of force is utilized;
Such reports are to be written, and made available to the public under Open Records /Freedom of Information Act requests within 48 hours of the incident without making inquiry or appeal to the Attorney General’s Office;
All on-duty Officers are required to wear body-worn cameras. These cameras are to be checked for video and audio functionality before any officer begins their shift or comes on-duty to assist an officer. An officer is not allowed to begin their shift, or come on-duty, unless that body-worn camera is fully functional. All on-duty officers are required to activate their body-worn cameras before responding to a call for service or providing assistance to another officer.



Adopted this __18th__ day of ____June__________, 2020 by Slim Thompson and Malcolm Foley (Mosaic Waco),