HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-05-20 Public Comment - J. Bacaj - Steps We Can Take in BozemanFrom:Chris Mehl
To:Agenda
Subject:Fw: Steps we can take in Bozeman
Date:Friday, June 5, 2020 11:35:40 AM
From: Jason Bacaj <jbacaj@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2020 11:33 AM
To: mehlchris@hotmail.com <mehlchris@hotmail.com>
Subject: Steps we can take in Bozeman
Hey Chris,
I’m Jason Bacaj, former business editor at the Chronicle. We’ve spoken plenty in thepast, but this time I’m writing as a concerned citizen of Bozeman. I never want to see thekind of police brutality in our town that we have seen happening across the country. I
know the Bozeman PD doesn’t have a flawless record on these matters. As the Mayor ofBozeman there are specific powers that you have to place checks on the police andensure a safer community right now.
Hope you don’t mind me using your non-City email, it’s just the one I have in my contactlist in gmail and I wanted to make sure the email got through. Anyway:
Please implement the following IMMEDIATELY:1) BAN the use of chokeholds and strangleholds. Allowing officers to choke or stranglecivilians, in many cases where less lethal force could be used instead, results in theunnecessary death or serious injury of civilians.
2) REQUIRE de-escalation. Require officers to de-escalate situations, where possible, bycommunicating with subjects, maintaining distance, and otherwise eliminating the need touse force.
3) REQUIRE warning before shooting. Require officers to give a verbal warning, whenpossible, before shooting at a civilian
4)EXHAUST all other means before shooting. Require officers to exhaust all otherreasonable means before resorting to deadly force.
5) DUTY to intervene. Require officers to intervene and stop excessive force used by
other officers and report these incidents immediately to a supervisor.
6) BAN shooting at moving vehicles. Restrict officers from shooting at moving vehicles,which is regarded as a particularly dangerous and ineffective tactic.
7) REQUIRE use of Force Continuum. Develop a Force Continuum that limits the typesof force and/or weapons that can be used to respond to specific types of resistance.
8) REQUIRE comprehensive reporting. Require officers to report each time they useforce or threaten to use force against civilians.
Again, you have the power to implement these measures immediately. It is your duty.
Thanks and I hope you’re staying safe and doing well,Jason Bacaj