Spurred by police shootings in Missouri, South Carolina, Ohio and Maryland, lawmakers in many states have debated policing reform measures this legislative session, reports Stateline. Among them: measures requiring local police to provide more extensive training, equip officers with body cameras and collect better data on the use of force. But many of the proposals have stalled because of a lack of money, as well as resistance from local police agencies.
For the typical small police department, the cost of training— including paying officers to fill in for those receiving additional training in the classroom — is a major barrier. In Ohio, an attorney general's advisory group recommended increasing continuing training requirements for officers from 24 to 40 hours; the cost was put at $30 million a year. In Colorado, a new grant program will help local agencies pay for body cameras, expanded investigations of police departments and a requirement that officers receive additional situational de-escalation, community policing and anti-bias training.