30 police agencies’ policies on chokeholds

Also body cams, vehicles and non-lethal munitions

Peaceful protests have swept the nation since George Floyd died in late May after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Violence has broken out on a number of occasions.

In response, police in Milwaukee and elsewhere have used crowd-control tactics such as deploying tear gas and pepper spray or using rubber or foam bullets on protesters.

The Now News Group and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel surveyed 30 Milwaukee-area police departments about their inventory of less-lethal munitions, armored vehicles, cameras and about their chokehold policies.

Less-lethal munitions, like tear gas and rubber bullets, drew scrutiny from government officials and the public across the nation.

The use of chokeholds, which are considered deadly force, has also drawn increased scrutiny in recent years, especially after Eric Garner’s death in New York in 2014.

Because of that scrutiny, our survey focused on what less-lethal munitions police departments have and where they fall on the use of chokeholds.

We asked police departments if they train officers to use chokeholds and if they expressly forbid officers from using them unless they are in a life or death situation. Some departments do not train on the technique but also do not expressly forbid its use.

We also asked about department use of body cameras and dashboard cameras.

Not every police department has less-lethal munitions or armored vehicles in their inventory. But most police departments have access to such equipment through mutual aid agreements with neighboring law enforcement agencies and participation in interjurisdictional task forces.

Chemical irritants, such as tear gas and pepper spray, are used by law enforcement to temporarily disable people by irritating the eyes, throat, lungs and skin. Rubber bullets, foam bullets and bean bag rounds are bullets meant to cause pain, such as bruising, rather than lethal injuries.

Bayside Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Brookfield Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: No

Armored cars: Terradyne Gurkha Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Brown Deer Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: None

Cedarburg Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Tear gas

Cudahy Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, nontoxic smoke, rubber ball rounds

Delafield Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Elm Grove Police Department

Body cameras: No Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray

Fox Point Police Department

Body cameras: No Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: Bearcat Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Franklin Police Department

Body cameras: No Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, tear gas, nontoxic smoke, foam bullet

Germantown Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Glendale Police Department

Body cameras: Limited number Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: Rubber pellets and foam rounds

Grafton Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Greendale Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray

Greenfield Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Foam projectiles, pepper spray, tear gas

Hales Corners Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None

Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, bean bag rounds

Menomonee Falls Police Department

Body cameras: No, only microphones Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, bean bag rounds

Milwaukee Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: Two Bearcats Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Tear gas, nontoxic smoke, rubber bullets

Mequon Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: None

Muskego Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

New Berlin Police Department

Body cameras: No Dashcams: No Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: None

Oak Creek Police Department

Body cameras: No, only microphones Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: MRAP Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, tear gas, bean bag rounds, flexible batons

Oconomowoc Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Bean bag rounds

Pewaukee Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray

St. Francis Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, nontoxic smoke, rubber ball rounds

Shorewood Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: None

South Milwaukee Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: No

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, nontoxic smoke, rubber ball rounds

Wauwatosa Police Department

Body cameras: Limited amount Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Flash-bang grenades, pepper spray, bean bag rounds, rubber bullets

Waukesha Police Department

Body cameras: No Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: MRAP Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, tear gas, rubber or foam projectiles, bean bag rounds

West Allis Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: MRAP Chokeholds: Not trained Less-lethal munitions: Pepper spray, foam and sponge rounds, nontoxic smoke, tear gas

Whitefish Bay Police Department

Body cameras: Yes Dashcams: Yes

Armored cars: None Chokeholds: Not allowed Less-lethal munitions: None

Evan Casey, Bob Dohr, Evan Frank, Elliot Hughes, Cathy Kozlowicz, Jim Riccioli and Jeff Rumage contributed to this report.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.

JOURNAL SENTINEL MIKE DE SISTI / MILWAUKEE Officers in S.W.A.T. gear work at the intersection of West Fond du Lac Avenue and West Burleigh Street near a Jet Beauty store that was looted in Milwaukee May 30. Behind them is an armored vehicle.