Eleven national law enforcement agencies, including the Fraternal Order of Police, have agreed de-escalation is needed in police departments around the country.
Organizations like the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives contributed to a National Consensus Policy on Use of Force.
The policy, released Tuesday, recommends using de-escalation techniques before an officer resorts to use of force. It also advises police departments across the country to "value and preserve human life."
Writing a de-escalation requirement into police department policies has been a point of interest for many activists across the country.
"We were shooting a high number of unarmed citizens, a high number of minorities," said Kirk Primas, assistant sheriff with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
It's also been a major part of reform for departments that have faced Justice Department investigations, including Las Vegas, Seattle and Cleveland.
In Las Vegas specifically, use-of-force reforms have actually caused a significant drop in deadly force incidents across the department.
Lots of police organizations have agreed on this consensus policy. But it's important to point out that it's only a template for law enforcement agencies and in no way requires officers to change their existing policies.
