SB  32-CHOKEHOLD BAN                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:03:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration of SENATE  BILL NO. 32 "An Act  prohibiting the use                                                               
of chokeholds  by peace officers;  and relating  to justification                                                               
of use of force by peace officers."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
He asked the sponsor to provide a summary of the bill.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:03:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, District  G, Alaska State Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 32, read the sponsor statement.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Police use  numerous methods to restrain  and limit the                                                                    
     movement and overall activity of  someone who possess a                                                                    
     danger  to  themselves  or  to  others  (including  the                                                                    
     police officer). One of the  most common restraints are                                                                    
     carotid and  a tracheal  choke. Both  restraints impede                                                                    
     breathing   and   circulation   of  blood.   If   these                                                                    
     restraints   are   used  incorrectly,   death   through                                                                    
     asphyxiation may  occur. Throughout the  United States,                                                                    
     there  are cases  of the  misuse of  chokeholds. Senate                                                                    
     Bill  (SB) 32  would  assist in  reducing  the rate  of                                                                    
     chokeholds used  incorrectly. SB 32 would  further seek                                                                    
     to  improve   police  to  community   relationships  by                                                                    
     addressing a long-standing issue around use of force.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON  stated  that while  many  police  agencies                                                               
already prohibit  the use of  choke holds, the policy  can change                                                               
when leadership changes.  Placing the ban in  statute will ensure                                                               
it will remain in perpetuity, which is the goal.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:05:19 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 32.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:05:45 PM                                                                                                                    
JULIE SMYTH,  representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska,  testified in                                                               
support of  SB 32. She  stated her  belief that police  should be                                                               
well-trained  and know  the rules  about how  to engage  with the                                                               
public.  She  opined  that the  public  wouldn't  necessarily  be                                                               
notified  if  a  police  department changed  policy  and  started                                                               
allowing the use  of chokeholds so having them  prohibited in law                                                               
would increase trust between law  enforcement and the communities                                                               
they serve.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:07:04 PM                                                                                                                    
LEONARD HICKS, Chief  of Police, City of  Bethel, Bethel, Alaska,                                                               
testified  in  support  of  SB   32.  He  described  the  use  of                                                               
chokeholds by police officers as a  tool that should only be used                                                               
in  the same  situations as  those  where deadly  force would  be                                                               
authorized.  The   bill  will  ensure   that  the   policies  and                                                               
procedures  related to  chokeholds  will  remain when  leadership                                                               
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:09:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI closed  public testimony  on SB  32 and  held the                                                               
bill in committee.