Phoenix police are delaying the launch date for new rules on when officers can resort to violence or use physical force on suspects until Feb. 18.
The policy has been under construction for nearly the entire tenure of the interim police chief who took over the agency in 2022.
In mid-January, Phoenix police said they expected the new use-of-force policy to go live last Friday.
Now a spokesperson says another two weeks are needed so staff can learn minor changes made based on feedback from the original training.
The revision process launched shortly after Chief Michael Sullivan took over the department. He has called certain changes foundational, such as raising the standard for when officers can fire their gun, and organizing uses of force into categories based on seriousness.
Federal civil rights investigators said in June that Phoenix police are excessively violent and have a force-first culture.
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