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After hiring firm to help clean up State Police, agency unveils plan for 'transformational reform'
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BATON ROUGE - More than a year after Louisiana State Police hired law enforcement consultants to identify problems within the agency amid the fallout of the Ronald Greene cover-up, LSP leadership showcased steps it's taking toward "agency-wide transformational reform."
"Unusual for a police agency to approach us or any consulting firm, and proactively say we understand we are not perfect, we need help and we would like your help," said Dr. Theron Bowman, a consultant for The Bowman Group.
The Bowman Group is a consulting firm that was retained by State Police in March 2022. The group is being paid $1.5 million for its services.
During a press conference they announced their findings and what changes the agency is making.
"Many have already been adopted and are being implemented," Col. Lamar Davis said.
LSP first hired them after more than a year of stories from the WBRZ Investigative Unit detailing the problems at the agency, specifically attempts to cover up the death of Ronald Greene, an unarmed Black man who died in custody after he was beaten by state troopers.
Of those changes, policies.
"Policy drives culture," Davis said.
You can read all of the changes here
Body-worn cameras and use of force have the biggest changes. The policy bans chokeholds and the use of impact weapons to the head or neck area unless deadly force is justified.
"And the creation of policy revision to focus on positional asphyxia, requirements of officers mindfulness of someone's need and ability to breathe," Davis said.
Davis says they are working to build trust, be more transparent and improve technology.
"We're also providing necessary training that puts everybody on the same page. It builds expectations and better outcomes," Davis said.
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