Post by Dennis the Menace on Feb 19, 2010 11:57:35 GMT -5
Sheriff: Deputies should contain not confront armed suspects
Daily News Wire Services
Updated: 02/18/2010 07:17:55 AM PST
MONTEREY PARK - Today is the first full day of a new Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department policy under which deputies are urged to contain rather than confront armed suspects.
Sheriff Lee Baca issued the policy change Wednesday, in part because the number of people killed by sheriff's deputies nearly doubled last year.
"The intent of this section is to increase deputy safety and minimize the potential for deputy-created jeopardy, where deputies place themselves unnecessarily in harm's way," Baca wrote to his staff.
"When dealing with a perceived armed suspect, sworn members shall be cautiously persistent in performing their duties. Consistent with this philosophy, while every situation is not absolute, in many cases, it may be safer to chase to contain rather than chase to apprehend.
"This policy will be considered when assessing the tactical performance of deputies involved in deadly force situations."
The policy change doesn't vary "much from what we currently have as policy," said Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.
Deputies fatally shot 16 people in 2009, compared to nine in 2008. In September, Baca convened a panel of veteran training officers in an attempt to reduce deputy-involved shootings. The sheriff's department watchdog, the county's Office of Independent Review, was also involved.
"The sheriff wants deputies to be more aware in such situations of calling in aerial surveillance or backups rather than running after and apprehending suspects," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
"It may be safer to contain, protecting bystanders and residents," he said. "Of course, there will be situations where this will not work."
Daily News Wire Services
Updated: 02/18/2010 07:17:55 AM PST
MONTEREY PARK - Today is the first full day of a new Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department policy under which deputies are urged to contain rather than confront armed suspects.
Sheriff Lee Baca issued the policy change Wednesday, in part because the number of people killed by sheriff's deputies nearly doubled last year.
"The intent of this section is to increase deputy safety and minimize the potential for deputy-created jeopardy, where deputies place themselves unnecessarily in harm's way," Baca wrote to his staff.
"When dealing with a perceived armed suspect, sworn members shall be cautiously persistent in performing their duties. Consistent with this philosophy, while every situation is not absolute, in many cases, it may be safer to chase to contain rather than chase to apprehend.
"This policy will be considered when assessing the tactical performance of deputies involved in deadly force situations."
The policy change doesn't vary "much from what we currently have as policy," said Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.
Deputies fatally shot 16 people in 2009, compared to nine in 2008. In September, Baca convened a panel of veteran training officers in an attempt to reduce deputy-involved shootings. The sheriff's department watchdog, the county's Office of Independent Review, was also involved.
"The sheriff wants deputies to be more aware in such situations of calling in aerial surveillance or backups rather than running after and apprehending suspects," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
"It may be safer to contain, protecting bystanders and residents," he said. "Of course, there will be situations where this will not work."