Item B: Meeting w/Police Comm. - Laserfiche WebLink

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It then developed a response to the PERF/ICMA recommendations, focusing on those that either directly or tangentially affected its work. This memo was submitted to City Council on April 7, 2005 and included an offer to assist the department and City Council in implementing the report recommendations and evaluating the progress and timeline for implementation. As a follow-up, the commission has proposed that in its upcoming work plan, it review and comment on the draft department strategic plan, which will include many of the PERF/ICMA recommendations, to ensure consistency with community values and resource priorities. For the second year in a row, the work plan item on the use of 'tasers' as a new less lethal tool for police officers has been postponed. The commission had planned to assist the department in evaluating a pilot project where 'tasers' would be issued to a small group of officers trained in their use. However, these devices have come under increased public scrutiny following incidents where suspects have died after being "tased" and in circumstances involving youth and elderly suspects. In response to the growing national debate, the Department of Justice has funded two independent studies on the risks posed by stun devices like 'tasers.' The Police Commission and the Chief agreed to put the pilot project on hiatus pending the results of these studies. Next Steps Over the next six months, police oversight will continue to be a focus of the commission's attention. The commission anticipates that following the July 25th work session, Council will provide direction to the commission for refining the police oversight proposal and bringing back final recommendations for further discussion and possible adoption. The commission's FY06 work plan, as proposed, includes participation in reviewing ordinance and policy language in support of the new oversight system. Commission members also hope to be involved in developing an evaluation tool that will assess the effectiveness of the oversight system implemented. The Police Commission is committed to improving its effectiveness as a citizen advisory body. The annual policy implementation status reports have been helpful in measuring how its recommendations impact police practices and alerting the commission to additional policy or training modifications that might be needed. As this commission continues to assist in development of a more robust policy oversight system, its own function will be analyzed and possibly, redefined, to ensure that its role is distinct from and compatible with the other oversight bodies. As this report indicates, the commission has worked with due diligence to accomplish its work plan obligations in a way that results in high quality outcomes and meets community expectations for an inclusive and thoughtful process. 2005 Annual Report Page 8 of 8