ST. LOUIS — In response to a call for changes to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's use of force policy, a statement from city leaders said the department already abides by many of the suggested requirements.
Last week, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed said members were planning to propose a board bill that would update the department's use of force policy. Reed said the bill would require the policy to include a number of changes suggested by protesters and activists in the wake of multiple use of force incidents by police across the country.
In response to the proposed bill, a letter from Mayor Lyda Krewson, Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards and Police Chief John Hayden said the department "regularly" reviews its policy, and many of the suggested changes are already part of the department's policy.
The first suggested change in the bill was a ban on officers from using chokeholds or strangleholds as a use of force method. The statement from the city said the department has not sanctioned any type of chokehold since installing a new policy in 2007.
The bill would also require officers to use de-escalation tactics when appropriate and possibly in place of use of force tactics. The city's response said de-escalation tactics have been a part of training since 2014, and officers are already encouraged and expected to use them whenever possible.
In response to the bill's call for a "duty to intervene policy", the city's statement said that is already in place.
"Officers are taught to consider their own individual conduct, and the moral obligations which may be created by another Officers' actions," the statement said.
The final change the bill called for was a use of force reporting policy to include comprehensive reporting. That means officers would be required to complete a report if a weapon was drawn and pointed at a civilian regardless if the weapon was discharged or not. The response from the city said the department requires reporting and documentation on any use of force, but that does not include the drawing of a weapon.
According to the use of force policy, "an officer will, if able, submit an Intra-Department Memorandum with complete details through the chain of command" whenever he or she:
- Discharges his/her firearm other than during qualification or training;
- Accidentally causes property damage or personal injury while qualifying or training at the Department firearms range or during private use (hunting, target practice, etc.);
- Uses other weapons or equipment as deadly force; or
- Witnesses any portion of an incident
Tuesday's letter from Krewson, Edwards and Hayden also voiced support for a national registry of "bad and corrupt police officers", national police training standards and the hiring of mental and behavioral health specialists to assist police officers.
