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Home My WebLink About07-11-2000 Articlesa Iowa City Press -Citizen POyn a ain with - beanbag guns By Jennifer Dyke Iowa City Press -Citizen The Iowa City Police Department just finished training for a new weapon more powerful than a night- stick but less lethal than a firearm — beanbags. Officers with the depart- ment are now trained to fire shells contafri- Iowa City ing small, cloth bags of lead shot out of color -desig- nated 12-gauge shotguns. The department conduct- ed training of its officers for the weapons in May as part of its twice -annual firearm qualifications. '"Chat was a tool that we needed," said Capt. Tom Widmer. "It was a missing link in our use of force con- dnuunL" Widmer said the bean- bags are a logical addition to the department's available weapons and are useful in preventing serious iNury. .When it hits, it's not geared to penetrate the body, but it's similar to being hit with a fastball from apro fessional pitcher," said Sgt Bill Campbell There are four levels of what the department calls .use of force": hands-on, pepper spray, batons and firearms. "The goal here is to have something in between," said Capt. Patrick Ramey. The beanbags could be used, for example, in a standoff situation, such as against a person trying to hurt or kill himself. Its not one that is going to get broad use," said Officer Chris Akers. "There's going to be a very special set of circumstances when it is going to come into play," The cloth sacks are about 1 inch in length and are designed to spread out when hitting the body. "They're soft enough to flatten when it hits the body, plus it comes out at consid- erably less speed," Akers said. The average speed at 10 yards is 280 feet per second for a beanbag shotgun shell A normal round can travel between 800 and 1,000 feet per second. See BEANBAGS, SA Beanbags From 1A The bags are shot out of an actual 12-gauge shotgun. The shotguns will have painted orange stocks to avoid confusion with shotguns carrying regular rounds. The department has the rounds, but the shotguns are in the process of being painted. When the shotguns are ready, they will be kept in the cars of two sergeants and a lieutenant. The shells are designated as "less lethal" rather than "less than lethal" The less -lethal designation means the beanbags have the ability to take a life if used improperly Akers, who helped to train the officers to use the weapons, said that in order to be used properly, j the bean bags are supposed to be shot only at certain areas of the body. From the front, areas to be tar- geted are the arms below the elbows, the lower abdomen, below the ribcage, thighs and legs below the knee. From the back, the beanbags are supposed to be shot at the buttocks, antis below the elbow, thighs and legs below the knee. The fast step in, the depart- ments less -lethal weapons effort was Oleoresin Capsicum; a liquid aerosol form of the chemical commonly called pepper spray. The department has had O.C. the last three years. The department utilizes spray several times a month durr ing use of force incidents," said SgL Bill Campbell Campbell said that in most cases, only the threat of force 14 necessary. 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Isp'�s p. ggp p°� pp 96'6 '5�0 '��• C �v �g� .°J5 Oq ugh�ib q8.>J c-7 c39'Om Z G L'u el °om..o _ �u U o°5 s °S �°g ov 3Z Lr as o��5 p ��''�' O. cva s2$oo2 nc5;5 s-`v0 �i v b 3 1$' eEl 0 Albany NY timesunion.com : news hllp>/wwia.timesunion.condAspStories/story.asp1stor Kcy- 16022&category- C By ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Staff writer First published: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 Public speaks out on review board Albany -- Independent investigation sought; decision on legislation could come next week A two-hour public hearing Tuesday saw residents once again call for independent investigation of complaints against the police. Meanwhile, members of the Common Council's Public Safety Committee said they may make a decision on civilian review board legislation as early as next week. The committee will most likely come up with several amendments to a mayor -supported proposal, members said, although they could not elaborate on what changes would be made. The committee will meet again at City Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday to consider the three pieces of review board legislation now pending before it. "We've heard the same thing tonight that we've heard for the past six months -- the words independence and investigative power," said Council Member and committee Chairwoman Carolyn McLaughlin. "If we don't give the people a semblance of what they've asked for, we're telling them that we don't care about what they think." McLaughlin last week issued a memo outlining recommended changes to the review board proposal that was unanimously approved in April by a mayor -appointed task force -- of which she was one of nine members. Her suggestions include employing an executive director who would receive and process all complaints for the board, and giving the board the power to conduct independent investigations and compel witness testimony. Council Member Thomas Nitido, who also sits on the Gorayep learning systems..: Inc. I of 2 6,21 001):O4 AM Albany NY: timesunion.com : news htip://www.nmesumon.wnvAspatonevstory.asp(storyNcy—soU2Lhcaicgor), C Public Safety Committee, said that any changes will be the result of negotiation and may not go as far as some would like. "On divisive issues, we have to accommodate opposing views, not let one side batter the other until they get exactly what they want," he said. Roughly 35 residents and activists attended the public hearing Tuesday night. Many who have spoken at almost every police review forum came to reiterate their belief that the board will not gain citizens' trust unless it has investigatory power. The mayor -supported -proposal continues to rely on the police department to investigate complaints. "We all concede that a police officer has a hard job; so do I," said Karen Salih, president of the Community Organization for Radical Action. "But if I break rules and laws, I will be investigated by others not associated with me in myjob. And I will not be allowed to investigate myself or be selective in what I want investigated." A recent proposal by Mayor Jerry Jennings to let an independent observer selected by the review board watch as police investigate allegations of civil rights violations or excessive use of force was panned by several speakers. "It's only a first step," said Courtney Burke, speaking on behalf of the Albany County League of Women Voters. "But it doesn't change that the board would be powerless and able only to do retroactive reviews (of complaints)." E" Send this story to a friend O Return to Top Copyridit 2000, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation. Albany, N.Y. The information you receive online from Times I anion is protected by the copyrigln laws of the t Iniled Slates. The copyright laws prohibit any copying, redistributing. retrammitling, or mTmposing of any copyright -protected material. 2 of 2 &21100 9:O4 AM Slbanv NY - 111➢eseelollAON : news UNION MWW uup,....,...1—,,...1,.... .... . _. Home News;: Todays 5twles i- By ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, staff writer First published: Friday, June 16, 2000 Jennings backs board observer Albany -- Mayor shifts position on altering police review panel Bowing to criticism that the civilian police review board he supports wouldn't be independent enough, Mayor Jerry Jennings on Thursday suggested adding an observer to oversee the police department's investigation of complaints alleging civil rights violations and excessive use of force. This paid observer would be selected by the review board from a rotating panel of attorneys, investigators and formerjudges approved by Albany Law School's Government Law Center. "The community has the right to know what we're doing right from the start when complaints of this magnitude are made," Jennings said. This is a departure from the mayor's past position, which, until this year, was to oppose changes in the existing Community/Police Relations Board, which has been criticized for being powerless. Police Chief John C. Nielsen said whoever is chosen as an observer by the review board would be allowed to sit in on Office of Professional Standards investigations from beginning to end. The observer would then be able to brief the board on the process and bring any problems to the chief. "I think our investigations are good, there's nothing we're trying to hide," said Nielsen. "Having an observer is clearly necessary to getting consensus on this issue " Activists who have criticized the mayor -supported proposal, which continues to rely on the police department for the investigation of complaints, said B CLARK'►1USIC 1 of} 6 16008JinM Albany NY': aniesumon.com news this new amendment is a step in the right direction, but it still doesn't go far enough. "This is better than what he has, but it would be nice if he went a little further and gave the board the power to investigate complaints itself," said Alice Green, executive director of the Center for Law & Justice. "I'm happy to hear he is thinking about how to make the process more open and independent." Louise Roback, executive director of the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the apendment doesn't change the basic structure of the proposed review board, which she does not consider powerful enough. The board would still have to rely on the subpoena power of the Common Council to compel witness testimony if it is unsatisfied with the police department's investigation as well as additional review by the mayor and the police chief. The review board could only ask to use the council's subpoena power to investigate allegations of civil rights violations or excessive force by the police. Officials would reserve the right to suspend these investigations if the city or police department seemed in danger of being sued by complainants. Jennings on Thursday again issued a call for opponents of the proposed board to "give it a chance to work." "I'm tired of the rhetoric, of people saying this isn't real and their way is the only way," he said. There are now three proposals on civilian police review pending before the council's Public Safety Committee. Council Chairwoman Carolyn McLaughlin, who also authored one of the pending bills said she could not comment on mayor's proposed amendment because she had not yet seen it. The committee will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the Common Council chambers at City Hall. 3 Send this story to a friend 2 or3 6116100 8 43 AM