HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-16-05 Health & Public Safety Health and Public Safety Committee 2005 South Bend Common Council
The March 16, 2005 meeting of the Health and Public Safety Committee was held at the South
Bend Police Department located at 701 W. Sample Street and began at 3:30 p.m.
Persons in attendance included: Council Members Pvzzello, Varner, Rouse,Kirsits, and White;
Police Chief Thomas Fautz, Lt. Keith Schweizer, Lt. Scott Ruszkowski, Lt. Scott Hanley, Sgt.
Mattie Taylor, Sgt. J.D. Kreczmer, Community Relations Division Chief Gary Horvath, Captain
Wanda Shock, Assistant City Attorney Thomas Bodnar,two (2)members of the Board of Safety,
Nancy Sulock of the South Bend Tribune, and Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, Council Attorney.
Police Chief Thomas Fautz welcomed everyone to the "South Bend Police Media Academy Use
of Force Seminar" and provided an agenda (copy attached). He noted that there were p
several
other handouts which included information on the upcoming Citizen's Police Academy(4 pages
attached), information on the upcoming Senior Citizen's Police Academy (3 pages attached),
and information on the upcoming Youth/Police Academy(2 pages attached).
Lt. Keith Schweizer then presented a power point presentation on Use of Force and provided
information on tasers. He noted that Captain Wanda Shock is in charge of Training and Crime
Prevention. Lt. Schweizer has been on the police department for 18 years. He stated that
complaints have averaged 3.6 times per 10,000 calls for service with regard to use of force. 46%
of those involved calls where drugs and/or alcohol were involved. He then reviewed the federal
guidelines for use of force. He focused on objective reasonable force. Indiana Code 35-41-3-3
sets forth the criteria when deadly force is justified.
Lt. Schweizer reviewed the force continuum, suspects actions, use of force theories, PPCT
Resistance Control Continuum, physiological changes caused by stress, SNS changes due to
stress. He suggested reading On Killing by Grossman noting that there is less respect for life and
less respect for law enforcement today then in the past.
Council Member White inquired about the statistics for use of force locally. Division Chief
Gary Horvath noted that they have approximately 90,000 calls for service.
Lt. Schweizer then passed around the room a taser. He stressed that tasers save lives every day.
He then showed a series of video clips where law enforcement used tasers. He noted that the
department has used bean bags but they can be deadly since they are shot from a 12-gauge
shotgun. The Phoenix Police Department has 1,500 taser devices in use. The Cincinnati Police
Department has had positive results from using tasers. Seattle and Miami Police Departments
have used tasers for twelve(12)months and they have had no fatal shots fired in either city since
they implemented the use of tasers.
Lt. Schweizer stated that there is a great impact at the patrol level for the use of tasers. Tasers
are seen as a first responder tool. The European Code is higher than the 26 watts authorized in
the United States. 99%of the tasers are used for less than one (1)second which incapacitates an
individual.
March 16,2005 Health and Public Safety Committee of the 2005 South Bend Common Council -page 1-
Lt. Schweizer noted that there are various other techniques which police officers use such as
press points. There are also stun guns with probes. The various deployment modes include a
spark demonstration, laser, and drive stun. Tasers can be shot up to 21'.
In response to a question from Council Member White,Lt. Schweizer stated that there is no limit
to the number of times a taser may be shot. The guideline is to use it until the aggressive
behavior stops.
Police Chief Fautz noted that the International Association of Police Chiefs is currently
conducting there own safety studies using two (2) independent bodies. He noted that all of the
South Bend Police Officers who carry tasers have been tasered.
Division Chief Gary Horvath noted that since the police department starting using tasers, they
have seen the following results:
66%decrease in injuries to police officers in the 1st six(6)months
50%decrease in injuries to police officers in the 2nd six(6)months
In response to a question from Dr. Varner, Lt. Schweizer stated that suspects know that tasers
will be deployed and that it has become a very effective law enforcement tool. Chief Fautz
added that proper training has also been key to the success experienced by the department.
Council Member Kirsits noted that he would be concerned about skull fractures and facial
injuries which may result from a full fall down when a taser is deployed. Lt. Schweizer stated
that based on their experience the biggest concern is secondary injuries. Chief Fautz added that
they have had no skull fractures and he believes that taser usage has been appropriate and
reasonable. Division Chief Horvath stated that no one has gone unconscious when a taser was
deployed.
There were then a series of scenarios where persons present were given a fact pattern and carried
out various traffic stops. In each case police officers acted as the individuals being stopped.
Following each one,the police officers pointed out what were proper procedures for the stop.
FATS Exercises were then carried out with persons present responding to each crime situation.
Following each one,the police officers highlighted what were the proper procedures.
The demonstration ending with Council Members Kirsits and Varner being each tasered by a
South Bend Police Officer.
All of the members of the South Bend Police Department were thanked for all of the information
which they shared and especially the hands-on demonstrations. The meeting concluded at 6:30
p.m.
Resp dully submitted,
Council Member Karen L. ite,Chairperson
Health and Public Safety Committee
KCF:kmf Attachments
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