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Thomas Hsieh

3 hours ago

As many of you are aware, the senseless murder of George Floyd last week and numerous other acts of violence against people of color has refocused our attention on actions by police and safety for members of the community in which they serve. The organization Campaign Zero has identified 8 actions that police departments can take to decrease unnecessary police violence through more explicit policy and better training. These include: 1) banning chokeholds and strangleholds; 2) requiring de-escalation; 3) requiring warning before shooting; 4) requiring officers to exhaust all alternatives before shooting; 5) requiring a duty to intervene; 6) banning shooting at moving vehicles; 7) requiring the use of force continuum; and 8) requiring comprehensive reporting. Campaign Zero argues that if these reasonable actions are taken by police departments, they can decrease the risk of police violence by 72%.

I have heard from a number of you over the past several days about the need for the Pomona Police Department to adopt these policies. I’ve had conversations regarding these policies with Chief Ellis. Community safety is our top priority. We both agreed a comprehensive review of these policies would be appropriate. We also agreed that adopting effective policies focused on reducing conflict and the frequency of the use of force is in everyone’s best interests.

It would be prudent for Pomona to adopt these policies banning dangerous actions and requiring strategies to reduce violence. In fact, I believe it would be prudent for all communities to engage in this dialogue with their police departments and take these actions.

Today I have asked Chief Ellis to prepare a report for Council that proposes action on all 8 policies within the next 30 days. Some of these actions are already in place within our Department policy. Some may be quick to implement. Others may take additional time to review, revise existing policy, develop the proper training and strategies for implementation. But we will be taking immediate and proactive steps to move Pomona towards safer police practices. ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

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