In fitting response to tens of thousands of people demonstrating against cases of police violence in which African Americans have died, city and state leaders nationwide are weighing proposed policy overhauls and changes in police work.

In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed on May 25, the City Council’s majority has voted to dismantle the police department and create a new public safety system. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to reduce spending for police and increase the budget for social services.

In Hawaii, recent protests have focused on support of the Black Lives Matter movement, rather than pointed criticism of local policing. Still, clamor for change in various U.S. jurisdictions is rightly prompting officials here to review use-of-force policies and step up much-needed transparency, such as in disciplinary actions against police officers.

Police Chief Susan Ballard this week said that while the Honolulu Police Department’s policy on use of force undergoes current review, a judo-type submission hold called “vascular neck restraint,” which is included in recruit training but rarely applied on the job, will be suspended.

Given the growing range of tools available to officers — from pepper spray to deadly force weaponry — Ballard’s move to hit the pause button is sensible as HPD sorts out whether the set training regimen for this one is still adequate, and where the neck restraint falls on the evolving continuum of appropriate practices.

In regard to the hot issue of defunding police departments, doing so in Honolulu at this time would be wrongheaded. Due to a shortage of social service workers, HPD officers are increasingly serving as first responders in incidents of mental health crisis and addiction, homelessness intervention and cases of juvenile status offenses.

In defense of Honolulu Hale’s call earlier this year to increase HPD’s budget, Mayor Kirk Caldwell has pointed to spikes in certain types of crime. Also, the department started the year with upwards of 300 job openings for sworn officers.

Under Ballard’s leadership, Caldwell pointed out, a “protector” role — disciplined restraint — is correctly stressed over a “warrior” or militaristic mantle. During a Monday briefing, he said: “They are the guardians of everyone on this island. And we need to make sure they receive the proper funding to be able to do that.”

Agreed, but along with assuming responsibility for public safety, an armed police force also must be subject to an equal measure of public accountability. In the absence of transparency tied to accountability, public trust and community peace can quickly erode.

It’s encouraging that Caldwell’s two new nominees to the Honolulu Police Commission — former state Attorney General Doug Chin, and YMCA CEO and former Judge Michael Broderick — appear poised to take on commissioner roles that scrutinize HPD’s work. In their careers, both have shown willingness to ask pointed questions and get vocal on behalf of the public, when necessary.

Moving forward, the volunteer panel must guard against slipping into a passive role, such as when the commission gave former Chief Louis Kealoha satisfactory reviews — not to mention a $250,000 retirement parachute — while a federal investigation, in which he was indicted for public corruption, unfolded.

Also encouraging are rumblings at the state level to change a law that allows officer names to be omitted from publicly available reports of misconduct — an exception unique to police among state and county employees. In the interest of needed transparency, state lawmakers should support House Bill 285, which would require each county police department to disclose to the Legislature identification of an officer upon suspension or discharge.