<div>Dear Peace,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Champaign City Council will have a discussion of the police use of force policy tonight at 7pm (normal city council meeting time, but a special study session is on the agenda).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>-karen medina<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Brian Dolinar</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:briandolinar@gmail.com">briandolinar@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
Date: Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 7:10 AM<br>Subject: [Discuss] Changes to use-of-force policy on council's agenda<br>To: discuss list <<a href="mailto:discuss@communitycourtwatch.org">discuss@communitycourtwatch.org</a>><br>
<br><br>
<h1><img alt="The News-Gazette.com" width="333" height="33"></h1>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Changes to use-of-force policy on council's agenda</h2>
<div>
<h5>By <a href="http://www.news-gazette.com/news/reporter/pwade/" target="_blank">Patrick Wade</a> </h5>
<h6>Monday January 11, 2010</h6></div>
<p>CHAMPAIGN – Officials this week will review a new version of the police department's use of force policy, which now gives more guidance to officers on when force against a suspect is appropriate.</p>
<p>The discussion, which follows a directive given in December by City Manager Steve Carter to update the policy, will take place during a city council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the City Building, 102 N. Neil St.</p>
<p>"Some of this is to respond to citizen complaints of ambiguity and unclarity," City Attorney Fred Stavins said.</p>
<p>Those complaints followed the Oct. 9 police shooting death of 15-year-old Kiwane Carrington, who died after Officer Daniel Norbits' gun discharged during a physical struggle.</p>
<p>According to city documents, the revised policy adds language to provide supplemental guidance to officers in a number of areas – specifically, when it is appropriate to draw their firearms and when it is reasonable for an officer to believe use of force in arresting a suspect is necessary.</p>
<p>"Hopefully it clarifies some of those items that the public in particular was concerned about," Stavins said.</p>
<p>The state law itself, which defines the legality of use of force and when it is appropriate, has not been changed in 20 years, Stavins said.</p>
<p>The proposed policy uses language identical to state law in describing the appropriate force to be used, according to city documents.</p>
<p>The proposed policy completes one of several objectives Carter believes will enable the community to move past the shooting death of Mr. Carrington.</p>
<p>The incident generated public discussion about the city's use of force policy, with dozens of residents critical of what happened.</p>
<p>The city staff will seek the approval of the city council when the policy is brought for discussion on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Also on the council agenda is a discussion of how to finance proposed drainage improvements for several city watersheds.</p>
<p>Finance Director Richard Schnuer will recommend the city issue about $25.5 million in bonds to pay for the improvements.</p>
<p>More than $17 million of that will go to help finance the Boneyard Creek Second Street reach project, The rest will finance improvements in the Washington Street East and John Street watersheds.</p>
<p>The Washington Street West watershed, for which city staff have also recommended improvements, will have to wait. Schnuer said the city has enough cash for engineering studies and possibly property acquisition, but not enough to finance construction.</p>
<p>Schnuer will suggest the city pay for the entirety of the projects and waive a policy that requires property owners to share a portion of the cost. Implementation of a "drainage utility fee" to finance future projects is still on the table, Schnuer said.</p>
<br clear="all"><font color="#888888"><br>-- <br>Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.<br>303 W. Locust St.<br>Urbana, IL 61801<br><a href="mailto:briandolinar@gmail.com" target="_blank">briandolinar@gmail.com</a><br></font><br>_______________________________________________<br>
Discuss mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org">Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org" target="_blank">http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org</a><br>
<br></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>karen medina<br><~~~~~~~~~~~~~><br>"In this universe, we are given two gifts: the ability to love, and the ability to ask questions." (Mary Oliver, American poet)<br>
A third gift is the ability to laugh. (Jenifer, a friend)<br>
<br />--
<br />This message has been scanned for viruses and
<br />dangerous content by
<a href="http://www.mailscanner.info/"><b>MailScanner</b></a>, and is
<br />believed to be clean.