HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-08-20 Public Comment - M. Egge - Re City Policing and PolicyFrom:Mark Egge
To:Agenda
Subject:public comment re: city policing and policies
Date:Monday, June 8, 2020 8:51:47 AM
Mayor Mehl and Commissioners—
I applaud the City Commission's proactive direction to the city manager toreview Bozeman's law enforcement policies and the use of force in light of
national acts of state violence against blacks and people of color. I
strongly encourage Bozeman to adopt strong standards for de-escalation
and avoiding violence by adopting the following principles for Bozeman'spolice force:
1) BAN the use of chokeholds and strangleholds. Allowing officers to choke
or strangle civilians, in many cases where less lethal force could be usedinstead, 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) USE CHEST CAMERAS to document all police stops and interventions.
Currently, Bozeman benefits from a professional, effective, and
commendable police force. This is not intended as a reproach of current
policing in Bozeman. I encourage the adoption of these new nationalstandards as a means of both promoting Bozeman as an inclusive
community and setting an example for peer communities.
Thank you,
Mark Egge
542 N Black Avenue, Bozeman MT 59715