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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017/10/16 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session�OlSt. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES M I N N E S O T A CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA OCTOBER 16, 2017 The meeting convened at 6:04 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg, Anne Mavity, and Susan Sanger. Councilmember absent: Thom Miller Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Police Chief (Mr. Harcey), Police Lieutenant (Mr. Kruelle), Police Sergeant (Mr. Balvin), Police Sergeant (Mr. Lewis), Police Sergeant (Mr. Kampa), Police Sergeant (Mr. Barnes) and Recording Secretary (Ms. Wirth). Guest: Police Advisory Commissioners. 1. SLP Policing Model / Critical Incident Planning (Session 3 of 4) Mr. Harcey welcomed the council to the Police Department, noting this location allows them to demonstrate their video training equipment. He stated this is the third of four presentations on the policing model. The first session was an overview of St. Louis Park's policing model. The second dealt with policies and procedures, biased policing, and de-escalation. Tonight's session will cover current issues facing policing; challenging citizen contacts; use -of -force decision making; and how the Police Department trains to deal with these situations. Mr. Harcey introduced Mr. Kampa and Mr. Barnes and described the professional background and training of each. Mr. Kampa explained the importance of safety and thanked the city council for attending this session to learn about situations they hope never happen, such as use of deadly force. He warned that some of the video information presented may be disturbing, as it will show people dying and include offensive language. Mr. Kampa stated that tonight's session will build off the last presentation during which Mr. Balvin reviewed both federal and state deadly force guidelines. He reviewed how officers' use voluntary contact, reasonable suspicion, and probable cause as guidelines and described each. Those are the `lanes' that officers remain within, but the lanes may be fluid, depending on the information received. Mr. Kampa explained that action beats reaction, and the officers are always reacting based on what people are doing. If compliance is accomplished, then things shift for the officer. Mr. Kampa conducted an action versus reaction demonstration using a `finger gun,' noting that action beats reaction every time. Mr. Kampa commented on the high rate of police officer resignation within five years of being involved in an officer involved shooting situation, noting that there is no positive outcome but many negative consequences, even when the officer's actions were correct. He then addressed the science of human performance and the number of seconds required to perceive/interpret/act for unexpected complex visual stimuli (traffic). Mr. Kampa stated that it takes 1.75 seconds for an officer to draw and aim his weapon, once the officer has perceived a situation and decided to act on it. He then played a video presentation of a squad car in pursuit of another vehicle with multiple occupants, during which an officer was shot and killed in less than one second. Mr. Kampa stated that the Police Deparhnent conducts a variety of training, including live fire training, with safety being the number one concern. The Police Department has an on-site range, which provides great training, but there is a cost. In addition, they conduct role playing scenarios including the Multiple Interactive Learning Objectives (MILO) system that offers many Study Session Minutes -2- October 16, 2017 scenarios, but this is the only room where it can be used. Officers also watch videos and use on- line training. Mr. Barnes demonstrated a MILO training scenario, where he responded to an office disturbance during which two people were arguing, and one shot the other. Mr. Kampa debriefed Mi-. Barnes and explained in greater detail what occurred during this incident. Mayor Spano asked whether officers talk after the training about what could be done differently, such as standing in a different location. Mi-. Kampa answered that each scenario is debriefed with the officer. Councilmember Brausen asked whether the MILO scenarios are unique each time. Mr. Kampa stated that they are. Mr. Harcey explained additional training features that can be used based on the officer's response. Mr. Barnes stated that with scenario based training (paint balls) there is more room for movement and the use of cover. Police Advisory Commissioner Justin Grays participated in a MILO training demonstration where he responded to an office disturbance that was successfully de-escalated. Mr. Kampa debriefed Mr. Grays about the incident. Mr•. Kampa conducted a spatial awareness training scenario where three members were given one set of instructions and the rest were given different instructions. Following the exercise, he pointed out that the participants came up with different answers, and some did not notice the `gorilla' walking through the scene. Mr. Kampa conducted another spatial awareness training scenario where participants were to count the number of jumps made by jump ropers wearing a certain shirt color. While doing the counting, not every participant noticed other events, such as a `chicken' walking through the back of the scene and the back wall changing color. He explained that this exercise shows why witnesses of the same event may have different perceptions of what actually occurred. Councilmember Mavity participated in a MILO training demonstration, during which she responded to a male acting suspiciously at a playground. Mr. Kampa debriefed Councilmember Mavity on the incident, noting at first there was reasonable suspicion, but it was quickly dispelled when Councilmember Mavity realized the man in question may have special needs. Mr. Kampa described how this situation would be concluded by reaching out to the man's caregiver. Mr. Kampa stated that officers are defenders of the Constitution and are to protect people's rights. While the department encourages people to call in suspicious activity, an officer needs to evaluate the circumstances and either prove or disprove the suspicion. An audience member asked whether officers receive perception training. Mr. Barnes commented on similar officer training relating to intent versus impact. Councilmember Miller commented on a recently posted YouTube video where an officer walks up to an autistic teenager and in his view, the situation was not well handled because the autistic teenager could not communicate well. Councilmember Mavity asked about the issue of escalation, using a scenario that someone calls about a car with suspicious persons. When the officer responds, it is determined there is someone Study Session Minutes -3- October 16, 2017 in the car with their friends. She asked if the officer would require the people to get out of their car or get into the squad car. Mr. Kampa stated only if the officer is able to articulate a reason to do so. The officer would assess the situation, including whether the car is legally parked; whether the people are juveniles out past curfew; and whether there is suspicion of drug use. Councilmember Mavity asked if there are no obvious drugs, if it is protocol to pull them from the car while checking their license. Mr. Kampa stated that the officer would not ask them to get out of the car unless the officer sees suspicious activity. He stated if the officer sees suspicious movement inside the car, the officer can frisk the occupants and the vehicle for weapons. An audience member relayed a situation he experienced several weeks ago where someone was standing in his yard when he let his dog out. His dog growled, and the person standing in his yard made a threat about his dog. The audience member asked whether he would be liable if someone is hurt in his yard. Mr. Kampa stated anyone can sue for any reason. Councilmember Sanger referenced the first vignettes and asked why officers in a questionable situation shoot to kill. Mr. Kampa clarified that officers are not trained to shoot to kill but to shoot to stop the threat. He described the difference between the two shooting incidents. Councilmember Sanger stated that the officer could use a Taser instead of a gun. In response, Mr. Kampa conducted another MILO training demonstration with an audience member, during which he responded to a traffic accident, and one of the people involved in the accident ran into a building and had a knife. Following the demonstration, Mr. Kampa debriefed the audience member on the incident, noting that in this case the weapon was a knife. He explained the use of Taxers and stated that in his experience only one out of four Taser incidents is effective. Mr. Kampa described the abusive behavior he and officers are subjected to and a recent incident where a kid was sitting in a stairwell who did not respond to the officer's instructions and placed his hands in his pockets. Finally the kid tools his hands out of his pockets and complied with the officer's instructions. Mr. Kampa stated in that case, the kid had a gun in his pocket, but the incident was de-escalated. Mr. Barnes relayed another incident where a man who was licensed to carry a gun had an alcohol level of .19. He noted that every officer probably has several incidents during which they could have reacted with force but decided not to do so. Councilmember Mavity stated that with officers having to make split second decisions, what it really reinforces is the trust the community and council put in all of the officers for their moral judgment. She noted that part is physical and tactical training, but it is also about the moral judgment officers make in these moments. She stated that she hopes all incidents end well, but carrying forward the values the community entrusts them with is harder to train for than the physical and technical skills. Mr. Kampa stated that is why they need to push the envelope of training, so they have that extra second to make a good decision. Councilmember Sanger asked how they train for an officer coming into a potentially dangerous situation, and how does it alter actions if the officer has some sense that the individual may be mentally ill. Using the last MILO scenario, Mr. Karnpa explained how officers could de-escalate the situation if there was time, distance, and influence, and that the officer's response is always based on actions. Study Session Minutes -4- October 16, 2017 Mr. Barnes described the extensive training that officers receive in de-escalation. Another officer added that officers and new hires also receive crisis intervention training. Mr. Kampa played a YouTube video of a traffic stop where the driver did not comply with the officer's orders to take his hands out of his pockets, to get back, or put the gun down, which ended with the officer being shot nine times and killed. After viewing the video, Mr. Kampa noted that in this case, the officer did not react for 40 seconds after seeing the gun. He explained that with severity of reasonableness, the officer does not need to wait until being fired upon. Mr. Kampa stated that officers are told that `your body can't take you where your mind hasn't been.' That is the reason training for these types of scenarios is vital. Mr. Barnes described an incident this past weekend where they dealt with a suicidal male. The officers were familiar with these people and the address because a mental health hold had been placed on the male just the day before when he was suicidal. Mr. Barnes explained how the incident unfolded, with the male making threats against the officers, being outside completely naked, cutting himself, and then moving into a dark wood line. The officers, at great peril to themselves, moved into the dark wood line and found the male up to his neck in the creek. They called for rescue. This incident unfolded in 3-4 minutes. The male did not respond to commands to show his hands (he had been seen with a knife), and he was bleeding from a self-inflicted cut. The officers were able to get the male on shore; cuff him for safety; place a tourniquet on his leg; apply direct pressure; and provide first aid. The man was then transported to the hospital with a mental health hold. Mr. Barnes stated that this man will eventually be released from the hospital, and most likely officers will be called again. Mr. Harcey stated that tonight they hoped to give the councihnembers an idea of the complex incidents and the difficult `use of deadly force' situations which the Police Department is confronted with and the training they receive to handle these situations. Communications/Meeting Check -In (Verbal) None. The meeting adjourned at 7:26 p.m.