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Smart training = Better cops

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Illinois

* Several folks have been saying for weeks that the Chicago Police Department needs more Tasers. But as this article points out, Tasers may not be the real answer…

The logic sounds reasonable in theory. In practice, however, it’s hard to tell if Tasers reduce shootings. In fact, Chicago expanded its use of Tasers in 2010 by 300%, but there was no recorded decrease in police shootings. On the other hand, police shootings have dropped overall since 2010.

Meanwhile, data elsewhere has shown that Tasers can actually increase the rate of deadly violence. A 2009 study by Dr. Zian Tseng found that when Tasers were introduced to more than 50 California Police departments, sudden death incidents rose by 600%. A late 2015 Stanford University meta-study of the current state of research didn’t find such clear-cut evidence of harm, but also didn’t find evidence that the introduction of Tasers by police forces reduced injury or death.

“Current research does not support a decline in police shootings with a broader deployment of Tasers,” Louis Hayes, a working police officer who also trains fellow officers as part of the Chicago-based Virtus Group, tells Quartz via email. “Generally speaking, officers tend to use Tasers as an alternative to fistfights and wrestling matches, not as a substitute for deadly force.”

Much more helpful than Tasers, Hayes tells Quartz, would be training that emphasizes “strategic thinking—specifically a philosophy that values distance, protective cover, containment tactics, and a calm demeanor.”

In Chicago, Emanuel’s touting of Tasers seems especially tone-deaf and confused. In early 2014, Dominique Franklin Jr., died after Chicago police officers Tased him during a minor arrest for theft. He fell, hit his head, and never woke up.

Distance, protective cover, containment and calmness.

Exactly right.

That way, a kid wielding a baseball bat isn’t shot to death, along with an innocent bystander.

* Meanwhile…

Twenty-two Chicago Police officers have been disciplined — and there has been a dramatic increase in video and audio usage — in the one-month period since the lack of audio in the Laquan McDonald and Ronald Johnson shooting videos prompted a warning from the acting superintendent.

Punishments ranged from a mere reprimand to a three-day suspension or loss of leave, according to Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

“The disciplines were not over a destruction of equipment, but officers failing to use the cameras properly, [i.e. syncing the audio; uploading videos at the end of their tour; inspecting the cameras to ensure they work correctly],” the spokesman wrote in an email to the Chicago Sun-Times. […]

“We’ve seen a 75 percent increase in user uploads of video at the conclusion of their tours,” Guglielmi said.

* 2nd City Cop has a different take…

Or how about this - the Department, which always buys crap equipment from the lowest connected bidder, bought crappy equipment, then failed to maintain the crappy equipment. Then, since the political pressure became too much, actually paid MASSIVE amounts of overtime to the officers in the “technology section” to actually go out to the districts and perform the routine maintenance that had been lacking for the past two, three or four years, resulting in…..a sudden increase in compliance!

In Chicago? Never!!!

* And after just a week of the new year…

Through January 6th, a person was shot in Chicago every 2 hours, five minutes.

Oy.

Not to be Mr. Obvious or anything, but Chicago has to put this police scandal behind it with some real and immediate reforms so it can tackle the even bigger issue of gun crimes.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:16 am

Comments

Training in crisis intervention is desperately needed by police. CPD does have a successful CIT program for police on managing youth in crisis but the training is voluntary. Implementation on a much bigger scale is needed.

Comment by Politix Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:26 am
Look I think the only thing that will help is screening them before they become officers. In seminary I had to undergo a three day psychological profile. It was an informative but grueling process. I think the same should be standard for police. Some people are just violent and hotheaded and don’t have the temperament for police work. Training is not in my opinion going to curb bad behavior.

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:45 am
The focus on more gun laws seems like an effort to take the eyes of the public off the real issues, which are much tougher to handle. A large percentage of shootings in Chicago are committed by those not allowed to possess a gun. But the focus seems to be on passing new gun laws rather than on how to get guns out of the hands of people who are already not allowed to possess them. In short, what’s the plan to get the gun out of the hand of the gangbanger? I’m all for that.

Comment by Junior Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:48 am
Those numbers are mind boggling, just think if you added in the shot & missed?

Comment by Wow Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:30 am
Others on this board have suggested the state licensing of law enforcement. Wouldn’t this make
it easier to mandate continuing education and
give communities better oversight when departments
lose their focus from public safety?

Comment by Illinoisvoter Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:36 am
I thought police were the problem how are all these people being shot and killed of the police aren’t doing it. Well at least no one is protesting the violence that’s going on. I mean why protest violence if it’s not the police.

Comment by Anon 2 Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:43 am
Illinoisvoter- excellent idea. As of now I believe that a state law enforcement certificate is basically a lifetime award, same as my scuba certification card. Although I have not taken a dive with tanks since school many years ago, I could take my scuba card out of the drawer and buy oxygen on a dive trip next week. No way I would do that, because scuba diving is one of the most dangerous pursuits out there, and I am way out of practice.

If cops are going to be allowed to make life or death decisions on the spot, then if they don’t stay up to date on their training, suspend or revoke their license. And watch for the police unions to stack the professional review board, if one is created by the legislature. That’s how Jon Burge is still pulling a CPD pension, because the board is stacked with cops.

Make sure any such board is composed of citizens and get the taxpayer involved in police discipline.

Comment by Payback Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:53 am
“Well at least no one is protesting the violence that’s going on. I mean why protest violence if it’s not the police.”

You have no idea what you’re talking about, e.g. https://twitter.com/PeterNickeas/status/684884187044646912

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:00 pm
Mjm a memorial is not a protest, Michigan Abe isn’t shut down. No catchy chants. No live tv coverage, just the fact that no lives matter unless the police do the shooting.

Comment by Anon 2 Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:09 pm
Yes, a memorial proves that “no lives matter unless the police do the shooting.”

Quite the thinker, ain’t cha?

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:11 pm
A scoop from The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/article/chicago-police-department-monitor-all-interactions-52136?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:15 pm
Quite the thinker you are. Almost every death has a memorial service. Over 475 murders in Chicago last year, no big deal unless the police kill someone then it’s cause for protests. So yes apparently those live don’t matter. But you can’t admit where the problem really is you just avoid those neighborhoods and act snarky on a blog. Self righteous indignation looks good on you.

Comment by Anon 2 Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:21 pm
“Self righteous indignation looks good on you.”

But to be fair, everything looks good on me.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:25 pm
Anon 2 - I’m with you on the police shooting issue. However, the actions of a few have soiled the image of the many. The thin blue line has gone overboard and hurt the institution, imo. I will reflexively support the police, but we can’t support criminal actions. Also, better training can’t be a bad thing, imo, and can save the lives of officers and civilians alike.

Comment by Junior Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:32 pm
I’d like to try the lapel and dashboard cameras - for real (the recent penalties for non-use aren’t strong enough, but even they caused a spike in compliance)and see what happens.

Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:40 pm
Better training is a great idea, I’m all for it but remember their is a cost to training, Chicago/Rahm didn’t want to pay. Their are a few bad apples in every profession, even blogging I think. Little something to consider Dr’s mistakenly (hopefully) kill multiple times the amount of people as police each year. Yes it would be great if no mistakes were made in the police profession but I don’t think the error rate is out of line with other professions especially considering these are split second decisions made in less than ideal conditions. No matter what keyboard warriors will always no better after reviewing film multiple times in slow motion.

Comment by Anon 2 Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:40 pm
Lapel cameras are great and I believe police have come around to supporting them. Now remember Chicago has several thousand police working every hour of every day( even holidays and midnights) so start thinking about the storage needed for that video and the cost. Hello another property tax hike. Also can’t wait for some privacy advocates to be up in arms about being on video. People get nuts over cameras on street corners.

Comment by Anon 2 Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:48 pm
Anon 2 - I agree on the low error rate, and that it is not the department’s fault on the funding thing. And there are few bad apples out there. My observation is that these bad apples need to be more aggressively rooted out, including by other officers. This POV comes from a guy whose uncle he never got a chance to meet was killed on the job. Assuming you’re on the job, stay safe.

Comment by Junior Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:16 pm
Interesting how when police kill it’s usually framed as a matter of training, rather than identifying and prosecuting the guilty cops with prison time in order to deter criminal conduct.

The body cam bill requires police agencies to retain records for 90 days, but IL law provides up to one year for persons injured or killed by police to file lawsuits. Somehow criminal penalties for altering, deleting, “losing” or otherwise not providing these recordings for evidence purposes was not present in the final version of the body cam bill.

This is a Good Old Boy wink to police unions that they can delete the tapes if they show officers engaged in criminal conduct. If the legislature criminalized destruction of evidence and upheld the integrity of the court process, then “the good cops” (and prosecutors) could investigate and try police criminals and hold them accountable under law.

Comment by Payback Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 3:05 pm