San Marcos City Council To Discuss SMPD Use Of Force Policy
Staff Reports
On Tuesday, July 7, the San Marcos City Council will hold a work session to receive a staff presentation regarding the San Marcos Police Department’s use of force policy.
The presentation will address topics highlighted by the “8 Can’t Wait” Campaign.
According to the agenda, the “8 Can’t Wait” campaign is one of the most visible campaigns that emerged from the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department after a physical struggle with officers.
The campaign is asking governing bodies of local governments to examine the use of force policies of their police departments with regard to 8 specific topics:
- Ban chokeholds
- Require de-escalation
- Require warning before shooting
- Require officers to exhaust all other alternatives before shooting
- Require officers to intervene in instances of other officers using excessive force
- Ban shooting at moving vehicles
- Require a use of force continuum and
- Require comprehensive use of force reporting
The agenda states the purpose of the work session is to provide the council with detailed information about several aspects of the San Marcos Police Department’s use of force policy including some recent changes prompted by the death of Floyd and hold a related discussion.
The San Marcos City Council will convene at 3:00 PM on the 7th virtually. The meeting will be followed by a regular meeting whose agenda is not yet available.
- View this meeting agenda HERE.
- View this meeting agenda packet HERE.
- View live or previous meetings HERE.
WAIT, Wait, Wait…. Didn’t we already condemn our the abusive policing policies of our neighbors?
Isn’t that the political equivalent of “Shoot First & Ask Questions Later.”