Sarasota Police Chief: Use of force in policing must be clearly understood

 

 

 

Sarasota Police Chief: Use of force in policing must be clearly understood

 

 

SPD: To our community. Please see the guest editorial below Chief DiPino wrote reference to the articles that have been published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune recently.

 

As your Police Chief, I felt compelled to respond to the articles that were published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Sunday, July 5, 2020. It is important to put into context and explain data in the article which stated, “City of Sarasota police officers have used force 1,260 times since January 1, 2018.”

 

In the time-frame in the Herald Tribune, January 1, 2018 to June 18, 2020, Sarasota Police officers responded to 179,176 calls for service. The calls included murders, assaults, shootings, sexual batteries, stabbings, and domestic violence to name a few. Of the 179,176 calls, only 638 resulted in documented uses of force. That is 0.36%. That is less than one half of a percent.

 

It is important to understand when use of force is documented by our agency. Our policy is much broader than many law enforcement agencies across the country. I know of one agency that only documents use of force when someone is injured. I expanded our policy to include all force used beyond compliant handcuffing or escorting. The Sarasota Police Department reports use of force under the most minimal of circumstances to ensure accountability which then results in a lower threshold of reporting and a higher number of reports. Each officer must document the force they use so one incident may have multiple officers writing up a use of force form which makes the number appear higher. Officers are also mandated to document when they point a taser or handgun at someone even if the weapon is not discharged.

 

The review process for use-of-force forms contains multiple layers to ensure thorough analysis of the use of force. This review includes supervisors through the rank of Captain. The Training Unit, which includes a training officer and training Sergeant, also reviews the use of force for two additional levels of review.

 

I am copied on the use of force forms to conduct an independent periodic audit, but not included in the official written review system. If an internal complaint is made about the use of force review, I would be made aware of it through our official internal affairs procedure and take appropriate action. Our agency also has an Early Intervention System (EIS) which is an early warning system for behavior by officers. It gives supervisors an opportunity to review and address any potential issues. An EIS alert is sent out when an officer uses force six times in three months.

 

Another sub-headline included in the articles said, “among those were 11 instances of an officer subduing a subject by placing his knee on their neck.” In the 11 cases mentioned in the article, there were no reports of injuries. There were no complaints other than the current internal affairs case that was self-initiated by me regarding the arrest of Patrick Carroll.

 

A noteworthy example of what a police officer faces and why force is necessary is an incident where our officer struggled with a suspect who turned to face them and tried to grab equipment on the officer’s duty belt. We have a dangerous job to do and there are people who do not want to go to jail when we place them under arrest.

 

Our community is working through a pandemic, but when things return to normal and we’re allowed to gather again, the Sarasota Police Department encourages and invites residents to take part in the Sarasota Police Citizens Academy, which is held twice a year, to take part in educational classes to see equipment officers use and how they use it and learn about policies and procedures. We also sponsor use of force days where citizens can see and comment on our policies as well as participate in practical scenarios.

 

In conclusion, I want to thank and recognize the officers who serve at the Sarasota Police Department. They have a passion and commitment for our community. They choose to put on the uniform every day with no promises of going home at the end of their shift and they are willing to sacrifice themselves for the people they serve in our diverse community without thought of age, race, culture, creed, disability or sexual orientation. I am proud to serve our community, to be your Police Chief and I am proud of the Sarasota Police Department. Be safe.

 

You can see the Herald Tribune Op-Ed at https://www.heraldtribune.com/…/guest-editorial-use-of-forc…