Responding to the Murder of George Floyd
The video of George Floyd’s last moments under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer has sparked demonstrations for social equity and racial justice across our country. Solidarity demonstrations have been held across the globe as people from all walks of life stand up to support real change in America’s justice system. Hearts have been breaking across our community and country for hundreds of years and grief and anger are spilling over in response to this latest incident.
Here in Ashland we have been working to address many forms of bias, particularly racial, in our police department and to ensure that all in our community are treated fairly by our law enforcement and judicial system. I am proud of how our police department has responded – assisting protesters in an impromptu demonstration, keeping the peace, and re-assessing our policies. That Ashland is one of the communities that got this right is an indication that what we have been doing for several years is working.
What is also true is that there is always room for improvement – and social equity issues are not limited to law enforcement, but they are more visible in that system. We need to take action in many different areas alongside what we do in our judicial system in order to address the cultural brokenness that is driving the violent acts we see in so many interactions between police and people of color.
Here is the release from Chief O’Meara that has several links to documents that are helpful in understanding how the Ashland Police Department operates and how it has responded to recent events in terms of internal policies.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: June 8, 2020
CONTACT: Tighe O’Meara, Police Chief
City of Ashland
(541) 552-2142
Ashland Police Department Addresses Use of Force
ASHLAND, OR – In reaction to the horrific and unacceptable acts of police violence most recently witnessed in Minneapolis with the murder of George Floyd, the Ashland Police Department (APD) has received many inquiries about its use-of-force policies with requests to update and clarify them.
Topics covered in this policy include:
· De-escalation;
· Employing “choke holds”
· Requiring officers to intervene when excessive force is being used;
· Prohibiting shooting at moving vehicles;
· Employing a use of force continuum;
· Failing to exhaust lower levels of force prior to using lethal force;
· Requiring a verbal warning before using lethal force; and
· Requiring reporting.
“The Ashland Police Department prides itself on being a national best-practices organization, but there is always room for improvement, and we welcome all comments and concerns” said Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said in response to the requests to APD. Because of this, some changes have been made to APD’s Use of Force policy, which can be found at ashland.or.us/apdpolicy.
“Together with Chief O’Meara, the Mayor and Council have placed peaceful and non-violent policing as a top value for the operations of the Ashland Police Department and have embedded that value throughout our local policies and standards” stated Mayor Stromberg. “Chief O’Meara and I invite you to review these updated documents and provide local input in the coming weeks as we work together to make sure that our Police Department reflects the values of this community.”
The Ashland Police Department is committed to professional, equitable policing for all members of our community. For details about these policy questions and what APD has done, please refer to these links on the police department’s webpage at ashland.or.us/implicitbias. APD’s annual use of force reports for the last five years are at ashland.or.us/useofforce.
As a part of the ongoing process to foster community engagement and transparency, there will be a Council Study Session on July 6 addressing the changes to the use of force policy. An online survey and town hall meeting will be scheduled in the future to allow community members to share their concerns and suggestions surrounding the Ashland Police Department and its use of force policies.
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While I am proud of what has been accomplished, we need to continue the work in our community to attain racial equity and justice and to make sure Ashland offers a warm, authentic, and safe welcome to residents and visitors alike. I am in discussions with community leaders to determine what support people of color in our community need in the near term and what our longer-term actions should focus on to further social equity at the City of Ashland.
Thank you to everyone who has lifted their voices either as a person of color directly affected by the system as it is, or as a person working to support neighbors and friends as we navigate this challenging time. All of our voices are needed. While we may not know all that will be required of us to make the necessary changes, I am confident we can be successful if we work together.
If you have any comments, thoughts, or ideas you would like to share, please reach out to me directly by email at tonya@council.ashland.or.us