Expert: Antioch Police Department updates policies to align with national standards

ANTIOCH In an effort to boost transparency and accountability following statements of excessive force the Antioch Police Department changed certain of its policies in According to an expert those policies now better align and may exceed certain national standards The Antioch Police Department has faced community criticism lawsuits and federal scrutiny stemming from various accusations including severe injuries caused by dog bites from the department s K- squad In Interim Police Chief Steven Ford publicized that the department was conducting a top-down assessment of the use of police dogs Two years later a new guidelines manual was distributed that addresses those concerns and more within the department Mark Meredith a police practices and premises prevention expert for Robson Forensic reported changes made in the updated manual are more consistent with national standards when compared to the department s manual These standards aim to improve transparency and accountability for any police department as long as they are appropriately implemented and adhered to disclosed Meredith in an email to this organization Meredith reported the manual s changes to canine deployments are more restrictive than national standards The new plan now stipulates that a supervisor must obtain approval before a canine searches or apprehends a suspect Generally the decision to deploy a dog is up to the handler based on the use of force criteria in that state or the law enforcement agency Meredith revealed The new framework also spells out the types of circumstances in which a dog can be deployed while understanding that not all circumstances can be accounted for Guidelines now state that police dogs cannot be deployed against those involved in minor infractions or low-level crimes Deployment information and any related injuries should also be included in any matter or arrest reports Antioch Police Chief Joe Vigil who assumed the role permanently in April mentioned the department had changed its canine program so that it was more restrictive to avoid a repeat of what has happened historically here He added that the department had introduced an early intervention system that notifies a supervisor when officers receive a certain number of complaints So we get this notification hey this person has triggered the system take a look at what he s doing and we take a closer look at the information he s submitting to the system stated Vigil Before the protocol change Vigil disclosed an officer could be involved in multiple incidents without their supervisors being fully aware Meredith believes the early warning system is aligned with national standards and can mitigate problematic behaviors when implemented appropriately If a law enforcement officer receives too several points this triggers a full review of the officer s modern history mentioned Meredith Other updates in the manual include stricter guidelines around kinetic power projectiles Under the new protocol officers must notify a supervisor whenever such tools are deployed and supervisors are encouraged to respond to the scene when available According to Meredith these updates align Antioch s policies with recommendations from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the U S Department of Justice The notification of a supervisor for the use of force can also be used to understand if current department training is adequate or to identify personnel who may need additional or remedial training noted Meredith The procedures also notes that officers are expected to carry out their duties including the use of force in a manner that is fair and unbiased It also states that if an officer is observed using force that potentially exceeds what is reasonably concluded to be necessary then the observing officer must promptly analysis it to a supervisor Unlike the previous protocol newer guidelines state that an officer who fails to intercede on behalf of another officer when using unreasonable force may also be disciplined