COPCAB 2021-08-12 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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o Legislative Reform —There are many different sides to this story. Chief Dreyer worked with the legislature trying to impact these bills. He tried to work on a regional response but different agencies have handled things differently. Tukwila is following the laws as written, with the exception of HB1054, which restricts the use of military equipment and any weapons over 50 caliber. This conflicts with HB1310, which says officers can use beanbags as less lethal options. Beanbags are more than 50 caliber, so there is a contradiction. Tukwila PD agreed to continue to use less lethal rounds. There is work to change the language in those areas. o Cascade Behavioral Health — Media was present during protest this week, but got the information incorrect. Workers are in contract negotiations and are using the situation. They are working in an unsafe situation, as there is no staff for violent situations. They wanted police to hold people down in order to medicate them. That is illegal and police wouldn't have done it, even before the new legislation. They are working with management on appropriate security, but it is up to management to implement it. o Community Engagement Plan — On Monday, August 9, 2021, Chief Dreyer shared the Community Engagement Plan at the City Council meeting. They talked about ways to gain trust, be transparent and accountable. There are goals for each quarter. Trust is necessary in order for engagement to be meaningful. There was a complaint about officers telling residents that they (the officers) couldn't help them (the residents). Chief said that this is an unacceptable response. He sent a "Phrase of the Day" email, reminding people that there is always something they can do, even if there are restrictions. They can refer, etc. even if the direct action is limited. o New legislation impact — Officers are demoralized by the new laws that prevent them from helping the community. Officers are afraid of decertification or having charges filed against them. The hands-off approach brings fear of liability. Morale issues are impacting hiring and retention. Officers are looking to retire early, move out of state, transfer to the Port of Seattle force or become fire fighters. • Community Survey: o It is up and running! PIO posted it on social media this afternoon. 45-50 responses have already been received. There are a couple of quirks discovered, such as that when people leave name and contact info at the end, the report does not match up the name with the contact info. This will be fixed. Languages were vetted and are available. There may need to be a change in wording at the end where people have the option of leaving contact info for follow-up. Business cards with the QR code will be available for officers next week so they can hand them out to community members. • Questions o How are response times in Tukwila? Referenced the report today about Seattle having response times averaging 61 minutes. Tukwila times have remained consistent, about 5 minutes or less. However, that is impacted if there are multiple things happening at once in the city. It also depends on the priority of the situation being called in. o Graffiti on 42nd between 144th and 148th, west side of 42nd — multiple wooden fences have been tagged repeatedly. There is no evidence of property owners doing anything about it. Have property owners been contacted and told it is their responsibility? What happens if they do nothing? Chief Dreyer will look into this and get back with information. o What changed the most with the new legislation? ✓ Definition of use of force — legislative intent is not hands-off with mental patients. Must have "probable cause". These are folks who can't stand trial because of their condition. ✓ Imminent threat — Means "if we don't intervene NOW, serious bodily injury or death will happen ✓ Force — any touching to get someone to do something they don't want to do 15005 Tukwila International Blvd. Tukwila, WA 98188 • Phone (206) 433-1808 • Records Fax (206) 244-6181 Invest. Fax (206) 431-3688