3 hr. pm Policing in 21st Century-Galena-FULL

This is a closed session training

In August 2014 Ferguson Police Officer Darrin Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown. Initially, Brown supporters and alleged eye witnesses said Brown was shot with his hands in the air. The White House sent three representatives to Brown’s funeral. A local and Federal Bureau of Investigation review found that Brown was not shot with his hands in the air, had already attacked and attempted to disarm Wilson and was likely attacking him again when he was shot. Rioting occurred in Ferguson.

In December 2014 President Obama signed an Executive Order to create the Task Force on 21st Century Policing and announce its members. According to the President, the Task Force was part of the Administration’s efforts to strengthen community policing and strengthen trust among law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. It was not without controversy and many police administrators took exception to the recommendations and to the tone in which they were presented.

In 2015 and 2016 the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division continued an aggressive “consent decree” program identifying what they deemed to be problem departments. This program typically followed a controversial shooting or in-custody death i.e. Ferguson and Baltimore. Many question the accuracy of DOJ’s evaluation of these agencies and their use of antidotal evidence rather than hard evidence.

Also in 2016, the Department of Justice Office and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published a report suggesting that police agencies rely less on criminal backgrounds, physical agility testing, and written examinations when considering candidates for police officers.

This presentation will examine where we were and where we are now. Ed will also discuss the leadership issues that took place and those challenges that continue.