CC Minutes - 07/23/08 Work Session

Home Browse Search

them. She said the committee ultimately had been able to identify “some low-hanging fruit” and would provide the commissioners with a report in September. Ms. Sifuentez stated that another committee formed to review and update the existing Police Operating Manual (POM) utilizing Lexipol as the basis for policy updates. She said a subcommittee was formed under that committee to specifically look at Tasers and use of force. She related that in April, when all of nd the new members were on board, they had gone to the 2 Avenue and Chambers Street training facility and had an overview of the application of police use of force which included four hours of scenario training. She felt the training had been valuable as it provided a better understanding of the legal parameters and the dynamics of situations. She reported that the Use of Force/Taser Police Committee met several times and was very interested in community input. She stressed that each meeting opened and closed with a community forum portion of the agenda and that people could submit comments on the Web at any time. She said given that the subcommittee was wrestling with critical issues, the item would be carried over to the next year. Continuing, Ms. Sifuentez said the work around police response to people who were having a mental health crisis would continue into the next year. She explained that the Mental Health Crisis Response Committee (MHCRC) learned that this was a massive and complex problem. She related that the MHCRC had researched models for crisis intervention training, they had input from consumers, and they had developed some recommendations. Mr. Denner said the “other big piece” of the program had to do with oversight. He observed that Eugene had done more work around policy and planning than a number of communities did, but more communities had an oversight model similar to what had evolved with the auditor’s position and the Civilian Review Board (CRB). He noted that the commission also spent time on the groundwork for Cris Beamud, Police Auditor, to do the work to train the CRB as it was set up. He said they also worked at setting a context so that it did not feel to the community like indoctrination; rather it was akin to “opening doors.” Mr. Denner stated that one unresolved issue was related to the oversight language. He said a subgroup of the commission spent time helping Ms. Beamud craft language regarding what constituted a complaint and how they would be identified. He related that they met with Ms. Beamud several times and had held the first joint meeting of the CRB and the Police Commission. Mr. Denner indicated that there was a second suggested motion in the council packet related to scheduling a public hearing on some recommended changes to the ordinance that established the Police Commission. He explained that the commission was recommending the ordinance be modified so the liaison or person appointed by the Chief of Police was eliminated and replaced with an at-large member. He said as the CRB introduced larger issues to the community they planned to bring them to the Police Commission which would review policies and conduct outreach. Mr. Denner invited Mr. Alsup and Ms. Miller to the table. Mr. Alsup underscored that the committees that were the Police Commission’s primary focus were the MHCRC and the Use of Force/Taser Police Committee. He said the committee that was working on domestic violence would continue its work, but for the present fiscal restraints were going to restrict any results; primarily the recommendations were for procedural improvements and training. MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 23, 2007 Page 3 Work Session