Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

Home Browse Search

Ms. Miller provided a brief overview on the history and development of EPD Taser use practices and policies as listed in the agenda item summary materials. She stated that the EPD had concluded in its reports that Tasers could indeed be used successfully and responsibly in the community. She further noted that the initial Taser pilot training procedures also included training in a number of additional crisis intervention and conflict de-escalation techniques. Ms. Miller noted that former EPD Chief Robert Lehner had utilized the minority and majority reports from the pilot Taser project to craft the current formal EPD policy. Police Commission Use of Force Committee Chair Joe Alsup noted that the Use of Force Committee had reviewed Taser policies from several other similar communities and found that those policies were generally not as long or as detailed as the one that had ultimately been drafted for use by the EPD. Mr. Alsup provided an overview of the current EPD Taser policy and noted that it incorporated: 1) the use of verbal warnings in order to assess level of immediate credible threat; and 2) a description of the nature of the authorized uses for Taser deployment. He noted that the authorized uses for Tasers as described in the current policy continued to elicit the most discussion from the Use of Force Committee and Police Commission members. He further noted that the specific Taser use practices would also be discussed at an extended Use of Force Committee meeting later that evening. Mr. Alsup briefly described several of the "after care" elements of the EPD's Taser policy. Mr. Alsup noted that the Use of Force Committee had suggested revisions to the EPD's Taser policy that would require all officers carrying Tasers to undergo 40 hours of crisis intervention training. Ms. Miller directed the council members to the Materials Reference Sheet which listed a number of sources that had been reviewed in the Use of Force Committee's examinations of the current EPD Taser policy. Ms. Piercy reminded the council that the staff presentation regarding EPD Taser policy was intended only to provide information and not to request or recommend any specific policy revisions. Mr. Clark noted his recent research regarding the medical condition known as "excited delirium" and asked if that condition had been referenced in the Use of Force Committee's policy discussions. Ms. Miller responded that the symptoms of excited delirium, while not an officially recognized medical diagnosis, constituted a medical emergency under the provisions of the current EPD Taser policy. Mr. Alsup, responding to a question from Ms. Ortiz, noted that council members were welcome to email him or Ms. Miller with any other questions they might have regarding the current EPD Taser policy. Ms. Miller noted that the council member were welcome to attend Use of Force Committee meetings in the future. Mr. Alsup, responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, noted that the Denver, Colorado, police Taser policy, and policies from various other municipalities, had provided very useful information to the Use of Force Committee. Mr. Zelenka noted he had attended the most recent Use of Force Committee and appreciated the high level of conversation within that group. He looked forward to reading the committee's final recommendations to Chief Kerns regarding the EPD Taser policy. MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 16, 2009 Page 4 Work Session