BPD walks back on weakened use-of-force policy | Campus

The Berkeley Police Department halted implementation of its revised use-of-force policy Monday. This comes after the Police Accountability Board issued a letter last week urging the City Council to intervene, as the revisions would undermine guardrails in the previously approved 2020 use-of-force policy. 

The decision was announced in a joint statement released Monday night. It noted that the revision has been paused while the City Attorney’s Office determines the steps needed to update the policy. 

The Office of the Director for Police Accountability and BPD did not offer additional comment. Berkeley City Manager Paul Buddenhegen did not respond to requests for comment as of press time. 

The 2020 policy was developed in response to nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd and marked a significant shift in Berkeley’s approach to policing. The policy emphasized de-escalation, required officers to use reasonable alternatives before deploying force and established a stricter standard for when it can be used. 

The revised policy would have rolled back several of these constraints and introduced more flexible regulations for officers. One significant change is the weakening of the language surrounding when force can be used. It also reframes de-escalation from a requirement to a recommendation in certain situations. 

“When the City Council exercises that authority and directs BPD to implement specific policy, BPD cannot simply ignore or reverse that decision a few years later,” said PAB Chair Joshua Cayetano in an email. 

Typically, the BPD does not need the City Council’s approval to alter policies, but this specific policy was formally voted on by the council, according to Cayetano. BPD cannot change legislated policies implemented by the council. 

The revised policy was initially presented to the PAB in December 2025. In early March, the board was informed by email that the revised policy was being implemented, prompting it to issue a letter demanding that the council halt its enactment. 

“The revised policy was not implemented because the PAB was vigilant and requested an intervention,” Cayetano said in an email. “Going forward, I will be recommending a resolution that asks the City Council to implement structural changes to make sure that it cannot happen again.”