Police Community Engagement Board

Police Community Engagement Board 1/24/2023@ 6:33 PM | Meeting called to order by Lexie O’Brien 2. Roll Call Dr. Scott Groesch Lexie O’Brien Chief Dale Curtis Katy Miller Kevin Sombart (Zoom) Emerson Smith John Buck Paul Detrick Centron Felder (Zoom) Sloane Carfield Tina Clark Scott (Zoom) 3. Review and Approve November 2022 Minutes Approval of November 2022 Minutes Motion by Dr. Scott Groesch Second by John Buck All Members voted in the affirmative 4. Update Report from WGPD Chief Curtis advised that there was no new business from the Police Department. 5. What is our Purpose? a. We each bring personal viewpoints/motivations. How to efficiently share and form consensus for a conversational statement? b. We have dozens of responses from the community survey. Volunteers to synthesize responses and report back. Lexie addressed her difficulty drafting a Purpose Statement as she felt the purpose had not yet been defined. Scott reminded all that the Mission Statement was worked on at length and was available on the PCEB webpage. (a)Lexie further discussed communications strategies that divide mission/purpose/vision statements and suggested that each board member write out what they feel the purpose of the board is. (b) Lexie proposed a board member volunteer to break out data from the 2019-2020 survey responses for the board to review and implement suggestions as part of a purpose statement. Kevin remarked that the Mission Statement was done early in the creation of the board and felt very “legalese” suggested a short concise Statement of Purpose. Lexie discussed how the survey results would be shared by the board and Chief Curtis reminded the Board that all products of the PCEB are public record and would have to be produced if requested including the full survey. The Board agreed that all members will read comments and come back with their own ideas of the Purpose Statement so they could work together to create a final Purpose Statement. Lexie agreed she would use the information from the google survey to produce a separate document to send to the board to review. 6. Property and public safety in context of car thefts and car chases in residential areas. Police perspective on risks and benefits. What do we value as a community? What can we control and how do we help protect? Chief Curtis reviewed the department pursuit policy (attached) and discussed several ways the department is considering addressing the increase in property crime including but not limited to Flock Cameras, spike strips, “power shifts” and revisions of the pursuit policy during certain overnight hours. It was reminded that locking your vehicle, not leaving keys inside of the vehicle, and removing all valuables from your vehicle is always the easiest way to avoid theft. Lexie expressed that better communication to encourage the public to lock their cars would be helpful. Katy suggested a 30-day campaign through social media to encourage changing habits to prevent car thefts. Sloan suggested narrowing the message to 3 points and using the high school marketing class to convey reminders of locking cars and removing valuables to the high school students. Lexie requested a statistic of how many cars stolen were locked or unlocked and Chief Curtis will provide the information to the board. The Board discussed implementing a PCEB “logo” so the community knew the message was coming from them. The communications committee will meet at a later date to continue working on implementation. 7. Listening to community input a. scheduling and planning town hall b. listening sessions, interest in hosting at local coffee shop, etc. Lexie suggested appointing a subcommittee to plan a community listening session or town hall. Kevin pointed out that the ordinance only requires a listening session and not a town hall. Conversation returned to discussion of a town hall, and it was suggested that community participation may be low for such an event. John remarked that the Board needs to improve content of information for the public before they would see community participation. John suggested that the listening sessions provide a topic to encourage community participation. The Board concluded that it would be better to schedule a listening session further in the year and spend time preparing content and increasing visibility to improve the productivity of the future listening session. 8. Updates from Board Members/Subcommittees a. New date for Webster University Redefining Public Safety presentation? b. Ordinance Compliance Subcommittee c. Education Subcommittee d. Communications Committee John advised that the WU presenters were open to attending a PCEB meeting and he would contact them to find a date that will work. Kevin advised that he was unaware if the City Council has corrected the language in the ordinance. Kevin will provide a copy of the revisions to Chief Curtis via e-mail to be forwarded to the city attorney for review. It was noted that due to budget preparation, the revision would likely take some time to be included on the council agenda if it is deemed necessary. Katy reported no new updates from the Education Committee Lexie reported updated name tag information from the Communications Committee. Chief Curtis will check with Jenny Starkey to see if they will need to be ordered through the City. Lexie circled back to developing a logo for the PCEB and including it on name badges and requested Sloan handle the design. 9. Adjourn – Next Meeting Next meeting set for 2/28/2023 @ 6:30 p.m. Motion to adjourn by: Scott Groesch Second by Katy Miller All Board members voted in the affirmative. III. PURSUITS A. Pursuit Policy 1. No task, call, incident, arrest or pursuit justifies disregard for public safety. Before initiating a pursuit, Officers must consider the seriousness of the offense involved and if the perpetrator presents a continuing danger to the public safety. 2. Any commissioned officer operating an authorized marked emergency vehicle may initiate and conduct a pursuit in order to effect the capture of a criminal suspect, when all of the following criteria are satisfied: a. The suspect committed or attempted to commit a felony which would normally require a full custodial arrest, and b. The crime involves the use or threatened use of deadly force, and c. There is a substantial risk that the fleeing suspect will cause death or serious physical injury if apprehension is delayed. 5 3. The Officers should consider: a. nature of the crime b. time of day and lighting conditions c. condition and performance of the emergency vehicle and abilities of the Officer d. familiarity with the area e. prevailing weather, road conditions and speed limits f. non-Police personnel in the Police vehicle g. if the suspect can easily be identified h. traffic: vehicle and pedestrian i. location and neighborhoods 5 CALEA 41.2.2 a 06-01 5 4. If the pursuit is (or becomes) more dangerous than the pursued suspect, DO NOT PURSUE. B. Responsibilities. The primary responsibility of all Officers involved in a pursuit is the safe operation of the Police vehicles. 1. Primary pursuing Officer: 6 a. Notify the dispatcher of the pursuit, direction, location and reason for the pursuit; and suspect and vehicle description. b. Terminate the pursuit if continuation is not authorized by the Supervisor. Lacking such authorization, the pursuit must be terminated. 7 c. Terminate the pursuit when, based on conditions known to Officer, would lead a reasonable person to believe the level of danger to the community outweighs the necessity of immediate apprehension of the suspect. Notify the dispatcher when the pursuit is terminated. 2. Supervisor: 8 a. Monitor and supervise progress of the pursuit. The Supervisor must specifically authorize, in a timely manner, the continuation of the pursuit. b. Respond to scene of arrest if the pursuit is successfully terminated. c. Require a pursuit to be terminated when the pursuit does not meet the requirements of this order. To include, but not be limited to: The pursuit is for a minor traffic violation or the danger to the community outweighs the necessity of immediate apprehension. d. Limit the number of vehicles in the pursuit to a primary and a secondary unit. e. Notify the Field Operations Commander (Police Chief should the F.O.C. be unavailable) of the occurrence as soon as practical following termination of the pursuit. 3. Secondary Officer: 9 a. Follow the primary Officer at sufficient distance so as to maintain visual contact, but not so close as to create a hazard. 6 CALEA 41.2.2 b 7 CALEA 41.2.2g 8 CALEA 41.2.2 f 9 CALEA 41.2.2 c 06-01 6 b. Provide on-going information to the dispatcher such as direction of travel or other conditions as required. c. Assist in the arrest of the suspect when the pursuit is ended. d. Terminate the pursuit when directed or when, in his opinion, the danger to the community outweighs the necessity of immediate apprehension of the suspect. Such action shall be transmitted to the dispatcher. 4. Dispatcher: 10 a. Order the radio cleared of all but emergency traffic. b. Immediately notify the Supervisor of the pursuit. c. Relay direction and location information. d. Assist, as indicated by the Supervisor, in directing the secondary unit to the pursuit. e. Alert all nearby Police agencies of the pursuit. f. Query REJIS for license data and any outstanding wanted(s) / warrant(s). C. Tactics and Rules: 11 1. Pursuits for minor traffic violations are prohibited. 2. All vehicles involved in a pursuit will have their emergency lights and siren activated. 3. Paralleling the pursuit route by other Police units is not allowed. 4. Units involved in a pursuit shall not attempt to pass any other Police units, unless requested to do so by the primary unit. 5. On divided highways the pursuing Officers shall not operate their vehicles against the flow of traffic. 6. Pursuits should be limited to two Police vehicles, a primary and secondary. Other Police vehicles shall not leave their assignments to join the pursuit. Additional units may participate, but only at the direction of the Supervisor. The Supervisor must justify any other units allowed. 7. Officers with non- Police personnel in their vehicles will not engage in pursuits. 10 CALEA 41.2.2 e 11 CALEA 41.2.2 d 06-01 7 8. All occupants of the Police vehicles will wear seat belts. 9. Officers operating unmarked units that initiate a pursuit, will allow a marked unit to take over the pursuit and will then drop out of the pursuit. 10. The Webster Groves Police Department does not employ the use of road blocks, stationary or moving, forcible stopping, nor vehicle disabling devices to terminate pursuits. 12 11. Successfully terminated high-speed pursuits will be treated as felony car stops. D. Inter-Jurisdictional Pursuits - Other Jurisdiction 13 1. The communications unit shall immediately notify the on-duty supervisor or watch commander when a pursuit from another jurisdiction has entered the City, or appears certain to enter the City. This notification process shall include any requests for assistance from the pursuing agency and all other pertinent information that may be available. 2. Officers receiving information through mobile radio scanners should immediately notify the communications center of the potential of a pursuit through our jurisdiction and request they obtain all pertinent information and notify the on-duty supervisor or watch commander. 3. Commissioned officers of this department shall not become involved in another law enforcement agency’s pursuit unless all the following conditions exist: a. The pursuing agency explicitly advises the driver / vehicle is wanted for an offense that would satisfy the Webster Groves Police Department policy for the initiation of a pursuit. b. The pursuing agency requests assistance from this Department. c. After an assessment of the circumstances and situation (weather, road conditions, time of day, etc.), the on-duty supervisor or watch commander gives approval for marked police units to become engaged in the pursuit. 4. The number of pursuing units shall be limited to a primary and secondary unit, however other units may take up positions along the probable pursuit route and activate their emergency overhead lights to attempt to screen and / or shield other traffic from the pursuit route. 5. At the time such a pursuit should leave the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Webster Groves, pursuing Departmental units shall immediately terminate their involvement in the pursuit, unless the pursuing agency only has one unit actively engaged in the pursuit. In such instances, the primary and secondary units may continue to pursue the violator until such time as a marked police unit from an adjoining jurisdiction is able to assist the initiating unit. Once this occurs, Webster 12 CALEA 41.2.3 13 CALEA 41.2.2h 06-01 8 Groves Police Units shall immediately terminate their involvement and return to the City. F. Inter-Jurisdictional Pursuits - Outside Geographical Boundaries (Fresh Pursuit) 14 1. A “Fresh Pursuits” initiated by Webster Groves Police Officers into other jurisdictions are permitted by RSMo 544.157: The term "fresh pursuit", as used in this section, shall include hot or fresh pursuit as defined by the common law and also the pursuit of a person who has committed a felony or is reasonably suspected of having committed a felony in this state, or who has committed or attempted to commit in this state a criminal offense or violation of municipal or county ordinance in the presence of the arresting Officer ... or for whom such Officer holds a warrant of arrest for a criminal offense. It shall include also the pursuit of a person suspected of having committed a supposed felony in this state, though no felony has actually been committed, if there is reasonable ground for so believing. "Fresh pursuit" as used herein shall imply instant pursuit. 2. “Fresh Pursuit(s)” will adhere to all aspects specified in Section III of this Order