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Views on police reform highlight some differences between the candidates for the Missouri House of Representatives District 60 seat.
Incumbent Rep. Dave Griffith, a Republican, is challenged by Democrat Joshua Dunne.
Griffith won the seat for his first term in 2018. He and Dunne are facing off for the opportunity to serve the district that includes most of Jefferson City, with the exception of the southeast-most part of the city, for the next two years.
The News Tribune asked the candidates to answer readers' questions about police reform.
Responses may have been edited for length and clarity.
Missouri's Legislative Black Caucus in the 2020 special session proposed Senate Bill 16, which would have created or modified police reform accountability measures, including the following. What is your position on each of the proposed modifications?
- Law enforcement officers could not use deadly force to make an arrest unless a person displayed "aggravated aggressive resistance and the officer has an objectively reasonable belief that the person poses an imminent threat to the officer or others."
Dave Griffith: I support the men and women in blue and what they do for our communities across the state every day. The job they do to protect and serve is a thankless one, but they step forward every day to serve all of us. I am also proud to be endorsed by the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and how they advocate for those protecting each one of us.
Joshua Dunne: This measure will go a long way in stopping unarmed civilian deaths at the hands of police officers. By implanting guidelines and teaching police officers efficient ways to de-escalate a situation without resorting to deadly force, it is better and safer for not only the communities they protect and serve but the officers themselves.
- Use of a carotid restraint or chokehold in making an arrest would be barred.
Griffith: See the above answer.
Dunne: I agree with this modification. While working in a group home, we learned ways to restrain individuals in crisis without restricting airways. They are simple and safer for both the individuals being arrested and the officers making the arrest. Banning chokeholds is a simple and easy-to-implement step that would save lives.
- No-knock warrants could only be used "if there is a reasonable suspicion that the suspect of a violent felony offense will escape or cause bodily harm to others."
Griffith: See the above answer.
Dunne: I completely agree with this modification as well. Prohibiting no-knock warrants in non-dangerous situations is - once again - safer for not only the individuals under suspicion but also the officers in charge of the search. These changes to the way police officers interact with the community they serve will save lives and take a huge step in providing safer interactions for not only the civilians in the community but for the police officers themselves.
- A private citizen could use physical force in self-defense or defense of property or to detain an aggressor until law enforcement arrives, but not to pursue an aggressor who flees.
Griffith: See the above answer.
Dunne: Private citizens should not be engaging in vigilante justice. Everyone has the right to defend themselves in situations where others are trying to harm them or someone else, but once that person flees the situation, it is no longer self-defense but vigilantism which has shown again and again to put everyone involved in more danger.
I admire the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus for working across party lines to bring proposals that provide safer and equitable interactions for the communities they represent. These policies would make the state of Missouri a safer and better place for both civilians and officers.