THUMBS UP Deadly Force: Removing the Cloud

Thumbs up to former acting Dallas Police Chief Lou Caudell for publicly releasing the department’s deadly force policy. As long as the policy was hidden from public view there was always a cloud of doubt about the actions of police in any questionable shooting incident. It is also a good sign that the policy has been rewritten to be simpler and more straightforward. Of all the policies the city has, the deadly force policy for police should be the one that is easiest to understand. And we also commend new Chief Mack Vines for allowing Caudell, who had overseen most of the work on the new policy, to present it to the public in one of his last days in office as acting chief. That was an act of good management and good will. Now let’s hope that the deadly force controversy will quiet on its own-due to fewer police shootings.