When David Millsap saw the video of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvinkneeling on the neck of George Floyd last May, Millsap's focusturned quickly to the other officers on scene who stood byinstead of stopping Chauvin.
"Had any police officer on scene intervened, most of this would not have occurred," said Millsap, the sheriff in Laclede County.
Chauvin kept a knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes, eventually killing him.
Protests followed throughout the country with calls to address racism and reform the police. On Tuesday, a jury found Chauvin guilty of murder.
In the 11 monthssince Floyd's death, police departments across the country have changed policies and emphasized things like an officer's duty to intervene, all with an eye toward improving the rapport between officers and the communities they serve.
In southwest Missouri, some departmentshave made fairly significant changes since Floyd's death— like equipping officers with body-worn cameras— while other departments say they've simply re-emphasized existing policies.
In Laclede County, Sheriff Millsap said hemade itclear to his deputies they have a duty to intervene if they find themselves in a similar position as Chauvin's fellow officers in Minneapolis.
"Don’t let somebody, in the heat of the battle, go further than what they need to," Millsap said.
Millsap said after Floyd's death he also went into Laclede County's resistance control policy (which outlines how officers should respond to unruly subjects) to make de-escalation techniques more of a priority.
Of the local agencies interviewed for this report, the Springfield Police Department appears to have made the most significant changes since last May.
Springfield officers were equipped this year with body-worn cameras. The department also banned the use of the LVNR neck restraint and reformed itsPolice Civilian Review Board that hears complaints about officer conduct.
Springfield police also modified their code of conduct to emphasize the duty to intervene, created the "Where We Stand" page on the city's website to increase transparency and also participated in a communityoutreach program called Bears, Badges and Kids.
The Greene County Sheriff's Office had already done away with LVNR several years ago and equipped patrol cars with forward- and rear-facing cameras before Floyd's death.
Deputy Jason Winston said Greene County hasn't made any sweeping policy changes since last May.
"We strive to make every effort to ensure that our deputies receive the most up-to-date and effective training possible," Winston said.
In Christian County, Sheriff Brad Cole struck a similar tone. Cole said shortly after he took over the department in 2015, he instituted a policy where deputies undergo 16 hours of training a month. He said use-of-force claims and lawsuits have decreased as a result and he has no plans to pull back on training.
"We train our people in the right tactics and the right procedures," Cole said.
In Monett, Police Chief George Daoud said his department made some changes in June to comply with then-President Donald Trump's Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, which called for a ban on chokeholds.
Daoud said Monett police had body cameras before the Floyd case, but they have now equipped detectives and administrative personnel with body-worn cameras in addition to patrol officers.
Over the past year, Daoud said he does not believe his officers' interactions with the public have become any more tense or combative.
"We are extremely fortunate in this area that we have an extremely supportive community here," Daoud said.
Republic Police Chief Brian Sells said the idea of de-escalation has been generating a lot of buzz in the media recently, but it's been an emphasis for Republic police for years.
"That has always been important," Sells said."The first thing we always want to do is de-escalate a situation and try to find a peaceful resolution to it."
Sells said Republic police have expanded their de-escalation training since last May. But otherwise, his department has been focused on simply trying to build on what he sees as a positive reputation officers already have in the community.
Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole said getting body-worn cameras was a "godsend" for his department several years ago because they take the guesswork out of the equation when people come forward with complaints about his deputies.
Roye Cole said Webster County has been training on things like de-escalation long before Floyd's death, and they will continue to do so.
"We’ve already been working on things like that for a long time," Roye Cole said."We try to treat our public as good as we can. They’re our friends and neighbors."
