The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved two changes to the Vicksburg Police Department’s policies and procedures Thursday.

The first change, to the department’s rules of conduct under “Section One — Obedience to Orders, Rules and Laws (26.1.1)” adds a section titled “Duty to Intervene.”

The new section requires “when possible, any officer shall safely intervene when they knowingly observe another officer using force that is excessive, or preparing to use such force. Any officer shall promptly report these observations to a supervisor.”

The other change came to the department’s “Use of Non-Deadly Force (5.0.1)” policy, which now prevents officers from using chokeholds on individuals moving forward.

The adopted policy now includes “The use of any form of lateral vascular neck restraint, or any form of physical restraint that restricts an individual’s ability to breathe, is prohibited.”

The prohibition of chokeholds follows an executive order by President Trump that bans chokeholds “unless an officer’s life is at risk.”