[Peace] event: Changes to use-of-force policy on Champaign City council's agenda

[Karen Medina]

Dear Peace,

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).

-karen medina

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Brian Dolinar <briandolinar at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 7:10 AM
Subject: [Discuss] Changes to use-of-force policy on council's agenda
To: discuss list <discuss at communitycourtwatch.org>


[image: The News-Gazette.com]   Changes to use-of-force policy on council's
agenda
By Patrick Wade <http://www.news-gazette.com/news/reporter/pwade/> Monday
January 11, 2010

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.

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.

"Some of this is to respond to citizen complaints of ambiguity and
unclarity," City Attorney Fred Stavins said.

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.

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.

"Hopefully it clarifies some of those items that the public in particular
was concerned about," Stavins said.

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.

The proposed policy uses language identical to state law in describing the
appropriate force to be used, according to city documents.

The proposed policy completes one of several objectives Carter believes will
enable the community to move past the shooting death of Mr. Carrington.

The incident generated public discussion about the city's use of force
policy, with dozens of residents critical of what happened.

The city staff will seek the approval of the city council when the policy is
brought for discussion on Tuesday night.

Also on the council agenda is a discussion of how to finance proposed
drainage improvements for several city watersheds.

Finance Director Richard Schnuer will recommend the city issue about $25.5
million in bonds to pay for the improvements.

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.

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.

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.


-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com

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-- 
karen medina
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
"In this universe, we are given two gifts: the ability to love, and the
ability to ask questions." (Mary Oliver, American poet)
A third gift is the ability to laugh. (Jenifer, a friend)

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