HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-06-20 Public Comment - L. Rao - Re 8 Can't Wait1
Mike Maas
From:Lotta Rao <lottaelisabetrao@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, June 6, 2020 10:17 AM
To:Chris Mehl
Subject:Re: 8 Can't Wait
Dear Chris
Thanks so much for responding and being open to more conversations and enacting policy changes.
I was amazed by the rally yesterday: the coordination, respect, commitment, etc. I was also unpleasantly surprised by
the small group of armed men who showed up. They had rifles and what looked to be assault weapons. Though we
didn’t engage with them, clearly their presence was meant to intimidate.
I wonder after having seen so many mass killings in America whether or not it wouldn’t be in the best interest of our
community’s health and safety to pass a law or city ordinance making brandishing and carrying a weapon illegal?
Best
Lotta
> 4 juni 2020 kl. 21:14 skrev Chris Mehl <CMehl@BOZEMAN.NET>:
>
> Dear Lotta,
> Thanks for contacting me. I appreciate your concerns about police brutality that we’re seeing across the country. I
share them and am committed to the goal that our community’s police force fully embraces best practices for training,
de‐escalation protocols, neighborhood policing, hiring practices, and many other important points. Chief Crawford, who
came on board five years ago, shares these goals along with the city commission. Overall, I believe the Police
Department does a good job serving our community.
>
> The eight steps you provided look like a solid list of practices. I believe the police department already follows the steps
you suggest in order to decrease the possibility of abuse or violence. I’m following up with the Chief, and he’ll be
reporting back to all commissioners and city manager about current policies, compliance with them, and accountability. I
fully support these and other efforts to reduce the chance of violence in our community.
>
> In case you missed it, the Bozeman Police Department and others in
> Gallatin County put out this open letter to the community:
> http://www.gallatinmedia.org/?p=7075
>
> I’d also like to offer some brief thoughts some of the other issues facing our society. Intolerance reflects on all of us,
and there is no place for bigotry or racism in Bozeman or Montana or anywhere.
>
> As we have witnessed the racial injustice against George Floyd and others, we must reaffirm our commitment to
Bozeman being a welcoming community. Continuing that progress demands transparency, ongoing work, and a never‐
ending dedication to being an inclusive community.
>
> We strongly support and welcome the rights of citizens to express their views and protest. Each of us can and must be
advocates for justice and equity‐‐committing to acting in solidarity against racism and acts of discrimination, injustice,
and violence.
>
2
> As a city, Bozeman will review its practices to make sure they uphold these important goals; such as training for police
and city employees, the importance of de‐escalation policies, strict limits on the use of force, hiring practices, and
accountability.
>
> Bozeman for years proudly has been a city striving to show that “all our welcome.” Let us embrace this opportunity for
our community to listen to one another, to renew our commitment to inclusivity, and to act and participate in our
community so that Bozeman remains a place worthy of all people.
>
>
>
> Chris Mehl
> Mayor, City of Bozeman
> cmehl@bozeman.net
> 406.581.4992
> ________________________________________
> From: webadmin@bozeman.net [webadmin@bozeman.net]
> Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2020 1:55 PM
> To: Chris Mehl
> Subject: 8 Can't Wait
>
> Message submitted from the <City Of Bozeman> website.
>
> Site Visitor Name: Lotta Rao
> Site Visitor Email: lottaelisabetrao@Gmail.com
>
> Dear Mayor Chris Mehl,
>
> My name is Lotta, and I am writing as a concerned citizen of Bozeman. I never want to see the kind of police brutality
in our town that we have seen happening across the country. I know the Bozeman PD does NOT have a flawless record
on these matters. As the Mayor of Bozeman there are specific powers that you have to place checks on the police and
ensure a safer community TODAY!
>
> Please implement the following IMMEDIATELY:
> 1) BAN the use of chokeholds and strangleholds. Allowing officers to choke or strangle civilians, in many cases where
less lethal force could be used instead, results in the unnecessary death or serious injury of civilians.
> 2) REQUIRE de‐escalation. Require officers to de‐escalate situations, where possible, by communicating with subjects,
maintaining distance, and otherwise eliminating the need to use force.
> 3) REQUIRE warning before shooting. Require officers to give a verbal
> warning, when possible, before shooting at a civilian 4)EXHAUST all other means before shooting. Require officers to
exhaust all other reasonable 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 types of 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 use force or threaten to use force
against civilians.
>
> Again, you have the power to implement these measures immediately. It is your duty.
>
> Regards,
3
>
> Lotta Rao
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>