Riverside, Calif. police are learning, in part, by mining this incident for lessons.
By Tammy Mccoy, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.)
Riverside, Calif. police are using the videotape of Los Angeles police officers striking a suspect with a flashlight last week in Compton as a teaching tool.
“You use it as a training example, to look at what can be done differently,” said Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach. “This is a real-life scenario. You’ve got to talk about it.”
Using real-life situations is one of many techniques the department employs in its use-of-force training, a focal point of Riverside’s 2001 legal reform agreement with the state’s attorney general.
An organizer involved with the Tyisha Miller Steering Committee said the Los Angeles case should serve as a reminder that this can happen at any time in any city.
“The situation in LA should be a wakeup call for this community as much as it is for LA,” said the Rev. Paul Munford of the New Joy Baptist Church. “We need to be proactive, not reactive. The police are not always right. There are bad cops out there.”
Police are learning, in part, by mining this incident for lessons. Leach said what must be reinforced are the academy’s basic use-of-force training and the importance of supervisors monitoring officers’ behavior at the scene, deciding how to neutralize the situation.
“The sergeant on the Rodney King tape did nothing to control the situation and lost control of his officers,” said Leach, a former LAPD captain.
The Riverside and Los Angeles police departments have separate court-ordered reform agreements stemming from allegations of excessive force and racism. But, Leach, Munford others agree that not everyone plays by the rules.
“No document in the world is going to make a difference,” said Don Williams, executive director of Riverside’s Community Police Review Commission. “You can teach them and encourage them to behave, but that is not going to make them do it. An individual officer has to have integrity and do the right thing.”
Los Angeles’ agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice was official in 2001, the same year Riverside reached a similar accord with the state attorney general.
Justice Department officials claimed Los Angeles police used excessive force, conducted illegal searches and made false arrests. Allegations of discriminatory policing were also being investigated, according to a Justice Department news release.
Consent Decree
Riverside’s five-year oversight agreement came in the wake of the 1998 fatal police shooting of Tyisha Miller, 19, of Rubidoux. The draft complaint alleged the department failed to properly enforce the law due to poor supervision and training of officers.
Detective Michele Jackson said the stipulated agreement has been good for the Riverside Police Department. Jackson worked on the team charged with ensuring the department meets the terms of the stipulated agreement.
“We have a well-trained force now,” she said. “I can’t say it’s the silver bullet, but there have been lots of good outcomes and we have a better workforce.”
Jackson, the department’s spokeswoman, said there is on-going training in diversity, defensive combat and less-lethal force. Officers now use tape recorders and the department changed the supervisor ratios to seven officers per supervisor. Each supervisor is held accountable for the actions of officers under his or her watch, she said.
Williams said increased supervision and accountability helps quell some of the problems.
“Detection could be easier,” he said. “If you crossed the line and your fellow officer turned you in for it. "
While the images of the Compton arrest are a powerful tool that shows what LAPD officers did to the suspect, Leach said it does not tell the entire tale.
“There is a lot that comes into play - the emotion of the moment, or if the suspect resists,” he said.
Proactive
Leach commended Los Angeles officials for their quick and public reaction to the incident. Leach said Los Angeles officials are also cautioning the public not to rush to judgment.
“Officials were right out there with the community of Los Angeles, and pledged to share what the investigation is revealing each step of the way,” Leach said. “It is important to share information with the community so we don’t give the appearance of a coverup. I think they did a good job with expressing their willingness and commitment.”
After the videotaped arrest in Los Angeles, some addressed concerns that police displayed behavior reminiscent of the Rodney King beating. City and police officials promised a complete investigation. Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton on Wednesday presented the City Council with a detailed breakdown of the incident, pointing out some breaches in procedure.
Munford said Los Angeles officials reacted swiftly in part because of the current political climate, community pressure that lingers from past incidents and their legal reform agreement.
Five Riverside officers were fired in connection with Miller’s death in December 1998. Police had found her unresponsive with a gun on her lap inside a locked and idling car at a local gas station. Officers broke a window in an effort to wake her then tried to grab the gun. Officers said they fired in self-defense when Miller reached for the weapon. Two former officers filed a federal lawsuit against the city alleging wrongful termination, civil-rights violations and other actions.