According to Lehigh County Commissioner Nate Brown, “It is a waste of time” for Lehigh County to approve a resolution proposing police agencies adopt the 8cantwait policy put forward by Commissioner Amy Zanelli.

The issue came up during the courts and corrections committee meeting July 22 before the regular meeting of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners. The resolution was for information and discussion only.

The 8cantwait campaign is designed to bring change to police departments, according to the 8cantwait.org website.

The policies include banning chokeholds and strangleholds, requiring de-escalation, requiring warning before shooting, requiring police to exhaust all alternatives before shooting, duty to intervene, banning shooting at moving vehicles, requiring use of force continuum and requiring comprehensive reporting.

“We don’t have any authority to do anything with these municipalities [that have police departments],” Brown said.

The resolution is based on the idea that adoption of the policies tend to reduce police violence. The idea has grown into a national debate since the Black Lives Matter movement gained traction after the death of George Floyd in police custody.

“That [8cantwait] statement can really derail our relationship with law enforcement,” Brown said. “Our (Lehigh County) sheriff’s department is working on accreditation.”

Brown recommended the commissioners discuss the accreditation with Lehigh County Sheriff Joseph N. Hanna and District Attorney James Martin.

Brown noted the 8cantwait initiative is more than 30 years old.

“It’s nothing new,” Brown said. “I think it is about appeasing the media and getting some publicity out of this.

Commissioner Marc Grammes said he doesn’t believe the commissioners should be telling the sheriff’s department what to do.

Commissioner David Harrington described the proposal as a “nonbinding resolution.” He called it an opportunity to work with the sheriff’s department.

“Perhaps we can make it a flagship for other municipalities to follow,” Harrington said.

“We are treading into an area where we, as commissioners, should not be going,” Commissioner Dr. Percy Dougherty said.

Dougherty also said he supports the idea in principle but would vote against if it comes to a vote. He doesn’t believe it will have an impact.

Commissioner Bob Elbich said he agreed with Brown, Dougherty and Grammes. He said police policy is in the hands of the voters.

Commissioner Dan Hartzell said he also supports the principle but thought the wording of the document was not nuanced enough to meet real-world exigencies.

Commissioner Zakiya Smalls, who offered to co-sponsor the resolution, said she is in full support.

“We are in uncharted times and territory with COVID-19: people being out of work and what’s going on in our communities and our relationship with our police departments,” Smalls said. “I think this is a way we can support our police departments. We’re just putting on the record that we support these policies. I don’t agree with one of my fellow commissioners that this is ‘monkeying around’ and I don’t think it’s about ‘publicity.’”

“The (Lehigh County) sheriff does happen to support the 8cantwait principles,” Zanelli said, noted other commissioners support it in principle and that is all the proposed resolution asks for.

Resident Robert Hoffman called in to say “causality is difficult to prove” and “when studied, there are no disparities in policing by race.”

Harrington pointed out the study Hoffman was basing his opinion on had been retracted in July.

Hoffman said he represented 5,000 members who represent more than 1 percent of the commissioners’ constituents and warned they will remember the commissioners’ decision when they are up for reelection.

Lehigh County Director of Administration Edward Hozza Jr. suggested the proposed resolution be sent to the heads of all municipalities with police departments before action is taken.