Berkeley considers permanent ban on ‘less-lethal’ crowd-control weapons

Berkeley City Councilmembers on Tuesday will consider an ordinance permanently banning certain less-lethal weapons used by police officers.

The ordinance would permanently ban police from using pepper spray, tear gas, water cannons, disorientation devices and other crowd-control devices.

These devices were used by police to disperse crowds of demonstrators during the Black Lives Matter and George Floyd protests last spring. But in June, the City Council adopted a temporary ban on the devices. The ordinance being considered Tuesday would make the ban permanent.

The meeting will begin Tuesday at 6 p.m.