Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Enrolled Act 1006 during a ceremony with the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield on Aug. 16.
House Enrolled Act 1006 mandates de-escalation training as part of use-of-force curriculum through the duration of an officer’s career, enhances penalties for tampering with a body or vehicle camera, defines chokeholds as deadly force and prohibits “bad actors” from working at different departments to avoid reprimand.
The legislation is part of IBLC’s 2021 Justice Reform Agenda and received unanimous support from all four caucuses.
“For years, police brutality and harassment have plagued Indiana’s Black and Brown communities,” IBLC Chair, State Rep. Robin Shackleford, D-Indianapolis, said. “HEA 1006 is our way of saying, ‘No more.’
“I am grateful for the support of the Governor, State Rep. Greg Steuerwald and my colleagues in the General Assembly who helped get this legislation across the finish line and officially signed into law. This legislation will drastically change Indiana’s criminal justice system and Hoosier lives alike, but there is still more work to be done. The IBLC will continue to advocate for even greater changes as we move into the 2022 Legislative Session.”
