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CASE #1 (Issue #62: September 1996)Submitted by Chief James D. Brown, Streetsboro (Ohio) Police Department
As a Police Chief for a B-size Ohio agency I can relate a poignant example of how accreditation can work to reduce police liability and to eliminate potential press and community confidence problems. My agency complied with CALEA use-of-force requirements so officer use-of-force incidents were routinely investigated and reviewed by supervisors and the chief. Typically, these situations involved combative with DUI's bar fights, and domestic situations. When the Third Edition standards required an annual review of all the incidents of force, I made a matrix of the 1994 use-of-force reports. Some officers had two or three incidents, but one had nine. I reviewed all his use-of -force incidents, so I was surprised when I discovered a potential problem. His supervisor was consulted, and a meeting was held with the officer. The number of use-of-force incidents was discussed, including the problems that could arise in the future for both the officer and the department. The officer then understood that he needed to take a little more time in his duties to attempt to resolve non-threatening situations without force; more people skills were needed; he was outside normal parameters. The officer accepted suggestions for improvement. When the 1995 use of force report was analyzed, this officer had reduced his incidents of force to three. A minor corrective adjustment was made to behavior that appeared to be acceptable performance to both police management and officers. Had an incident developed and facts showed the agency needed to adjust policies, it likely would result in officers becoming critical of police management, feeling that when an officer got into a situation that went bad, the officer was not backed up by the department. More importantly, the way the issue was resolved reinforced the way the department wants to interact with the community and fulfill its responsibilities. Accreditation eliminated a problem, and there were no negatives. |
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