HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-12-2000 ICPD Reports/MemosFI►__FD
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Department Memorandum 00-47
DATE: August 1, 2000
TO: Chief Winkelhake
All Commanders
FROM: Sgt. K Hurd
SUBJECT: March - June Use of Force Review
The "bi-monthly" "Use of Force" Review Committee met on July 19'h, 2000. The
committee was composed of the following personnel:
Captain Harney
Sgt. Campbell
Sgt. Hurd
Officer Boland
The review of submitted reports, (70 incidents - 98 reports) revealed no policy or training
concerns. Again there were several reports where the "Type of Incident" box was filled in
with "Arrest". This box is supposed to be used to designate the original charge for the
arrest, i.e. assault, disorderly conduct, warrant service etc. Also, when dispatching an
animal, officers need to note the supervisor who was notified ref the dispatching of the
animal. This may be done by checking the NO box on the Supervisor on Scene box and
then recording the supervisors badge #.
Also, there was one report where the officer used knee strikes to control a suspect during
an arrest. On the Use of Force report it only indicated that the subject had pulled away
from the officer. Knee strikes are an active countermeasure, which is level four on our
Use of Force continuum that is, the subject is assaultive in nature. Based on the Use of
Force report it would appear that the officer had exceeded the force allowed in the
continuum. Fortunately Sgt. Campbell was familiar with the incident and the incident
report had detailed that the subject was initially resistive and then became assaultive.
When completing Use of Force reports officers need to make sure they articulate the
amount of resistance encountered and that if the level changes, i.e. resistive to assaultive,
include this in the report. The review committee does not have the incident reports
immediately available during the review process.
Copy: City Manager
PCRB
3
IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
USE OF FORCE REPORT --
General Information
r
Date Occurred
Time
Type of Incident
Incident #
Case#"'
Officer Involved Badge # Beat of IncidenV(J. +', '. 0.0[1ty
Off Dut
❑ Uniformed Incident Occurred Supervisor on Scene
Non -uniformed Indoors Outdoors Yes No Badge #
Lighting
❑ Daylight ❑ Dusk ❑ Night ❑ Good Artificial ❑. Poor Ar
Weather Conditions
❑ Clear ❑ Cloudy ❑ Rain ❑ Fog ❑ Snow ❑ Dusk
Number of Opponents What weapons did they use? Number of shots fired at you?
Suspect Injuries -
❑ Not Injured ❑ Superficial ❑ Critical ❑ Killed ❑ Unknown
Officer Injuries -
❑ Not Injured ❑ Superficial ❑ Critical ❑ Killed
lysical Force / Non -lethal Weapons
Type of force used ,
❑ ASP Chemical Wea on Drawn Sidearm Handcuffs Double Locked Canin El Other
Firearm Discharge
Weapon Description Type of Ammo used Number of Shots Fired
Officer Position
❑ Standing ❑ Sitting ❑ Kneeling ❑ Lying Down ❑ Other
Are you
❑ Right Handed
❑ Left Handed
Gun Worn
❑ Right Side ❑ Left Side ❑ Belt
❑ Shoulder Holster ❑ Other
Did you have sight and aim?
❑ Yes
❑ No
Did you reload?
❑ Yes Q No
How many did you reload?
How long did it take you in seconds?
I
Did you count your shots?
I Yes ❑ No
Distance from subject when:
First Shot Fired Last Shot Fired
Describe protective cover
N _ 5er of shots fired?
Du-ole Action Single Action
Did your weapon function properly?
❑ Yes ❑ No - If no, explain in narrative on back side of this form.
Number of Bullets Recovered?
Location
ICPD TRAINING
DATE: September 1st, 2000
TO: Chief Winkelhake
From: K.Hurd
REF: Sept. Training Report
Death Scene Investigation
08/04/00
8 Hours
Officer Steva
Mason City
Training in death scene investigations, including information for the I" responding units
State DARE conference
08/6-8/00
24
Officer Boland
Ames
Annual state conference on DARE includes new information, statistics, tips and
techniques for presenting DARE.
SRT Range training
08/22-23/00
17 SRT members
8 hours
Training in firearm techniques and handgun qualification.
SRT Situational Training
08/22-23/00
17 SRT members
8 hours O
Worked on hostage rescue techniques and worked on search techniques in low/no light. _!
Watch Training #s
01-04 Hate Crimes
y
c)
01-12 Child Abuse Indicators
01-07 Suspicious Pkgs.
01-11 A.O.D. (tactical considerations)
Copy: City Manager
Captain Widmer
PCRB
ra i n i n 1
DNA and Evidence Collection Principles
Robert E. Kramer - Detective
Cedar Falls Police Dept.
The dawn of a new age has arrived in law enforcement in
the form of DNA research and testing. We in law
enforcement, especially those of us working the crime scenes
need to be aware of what we can do "in the field" to assure
that proper evidence collection techniques are followed.
Only then will the groundwork for successful evidence
examinations be in place when we submit the case to a
forensic laboratory for analysis.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is the DNA evidence
analysis technique that is being practiced at the state
laboratory at the Division of Criminal Investigation in Des
Moines. PCR is a sensitive, fast, and highly discriminatory
method of analysis. One of the most essential aspects of
DNA evidence analysis at the lab is that a basis knowledge
of evidence collection principles is necessary at the initial
stage.
Impact and Exchange
It is widely embraced within the law enforcement forensic
field that the process of impact and exchange occurs at every
crime scene. For example, a "run" vehicle impacts the
accident scene and exchange occurs with the transfer of paint
to the victim vehicle; a burglar impacts a scene with the
approach of the area, and exchange occurs when footwear
impressions are left behind. As law enforcement officers and
crime scene specialists, it is our job to collect and preserve
continued on page 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
I DNA and Evidence Collection Principals
I Deception and As Detection
4 Pepper Spray
Deception and its Detection
Detective Wesley Clark, Connecticut State Police
adaptedfrom Connecticut Trooper Magazine, Fall1998.
As a member of the law enforcement community I have
made it my commitment to seek the truth in all matters,
personal and professional. During my career I have
encountered those individuals who do not necessarily hold
tight to the same values when it comes to truth. Though the
reasons for this deception may vary, as do the investigations
in which they arise, the intent of the subject in question is
always the same; to mislead you and/or your investigation.
As a detective with an ever-increasing caseload, that is
something I am not willing to accept. With Statement
Analysis as one additional tool available to you in your
pursuit of the truth, you will be able to focus your
investigations and reach an accurate conclusion to many
cases.
Breaking Tradition
One of the most difficult problems to overcome will
probably be the past practice and training of police officers
in obtaining statements. The standard procedure has been to
obtain a statement through the course of an extensive
"question and answer" format. One drawback of this type of
questioning is that it is give-and-take, and the subject can
learn from you what you know or don't know about the case
through the questions you ask, thus he may learn "how to
lie" through this questioning. Secondly, information obtained
from an open statement (i.e. "What happened?) will
generally be more reliable in terms of assessing the
truthfulness of the subject. Therefore, with statement
analysis, we obtain a statement from the subject prior to
questioning him or her. The statement will then be analyzed
and a detailed questioning of the subject will follow.
However, we will enter the questioning phase with a greater
understanding of what the subject actually revealed within
the statement, and where the subject left information out. We
will be able to assess the truthfulness of this subject, learn
which areas in the statement are sensitive for him to talk
about, and gain insight into his relationships with other
people mentioned within the statement. Many other benefits
are obtained from this type of approach, which are all to our
advantage, and at the same time he obtains little if anything
from us. To better understand this concept, consider
obtaining a statement from the subject prior to questioning
him like playing Poker, but prior to placing a bet, you get to
see what cards your opponent is holding!
continued on page 3
training t
that the subject jumped over or
ve would not state that this subject
on rim-Xlke gap in time
Jed up II �aLtaill d inquiry into
continued from page
- � �}
Ls
ivhich may not only
samples are being collected. d niakd cure the same water
von' a scope of this article. The
conned the suspect to
is used to collect both the control and evidence samples.
omi,_ ,ally Ehe Nect is
Finally, if cuttings ; of a -_ Ie are being
1 .; i
ne iisde, is 4hat itb persA tells us
,
) it s pre
submitted for analysis "(i.e.: a couch) n is preferred that the
d, only everything they think is
They' array Uavd uttbrmation out
control samples also be ,cuttings,. `rtitper than swabs or
1 II l'
m 6rfgn(oii>tiffot }IA that they
9dence which will be
merely fibers. i -
�j`,° �.`'• '- ,
for us to know. An example of
accomplished by the
Other Evidence
item. For example, it
Known i biolo cal
> specimens can be collected from
formation that they believe is
vbmit undergarments
both living and deceased persons easily, and we
now, may be an alibi statement,
peeled sexual assault
have been doing so for years in the form of sexual
missing time, and also contains
pceimen. Sometimes,
assault kit supplies.
ig sensitivity in a particular area
W item is impossible
Cheek swabs can be collected from individual and may in
)on further inquiry, it is revealed
stabbing scene where
fact result in the discovery of some of the most bighly
11 us that he had an argument with
)od loss on a We or
concentrated DNA cells. The cheeks swab is non -
dinner, which was not related to
ng for the evidence is
threatening, in that the individual feels less intimidated by
safely conclude this subject to be
; DNA evidence.
the process. The procedure is quick and simple:
to removed that "link" from the
ed to the D,C.I. Lab in
• A cotton tipped swab is scrubbed on the inside of
nce of that still remaining in the
eel swabs. The process
the cheek.
to as an "outside issue", which is
the subject, but not necessarily
to procedure:
• No food or drink prior to twenty minutes of the
:ample of leaving out information
swab with clean water.
1 as
collection.
d be a husband reporting that his
possible.
• Preferred that the technique not be used if the
xovides the police with an alibi
ample contamination
mouth is bleeding.
vities for the day. However, there
If hairs are to be submitted, make sure the collector obtain
d by areas of sensitivity, which
the collector (wear
pulled hairs. The tissue associated with the hair root is
.)Ugh further inquiry, and no
needed in the DNA analysis. Other samples which may be
within the statement itself. There
he collection medium,
suitable for DNA analysis includes: bones, teeth, muscle
,e, pronouns, or other "red flags"
need to be cleaned
tissue, and associated property that may be found with the
riot d which are not "justified
.n.
body (hairbrush, toothbrush, etc.)
ontent of the information. At this
bier.
)uld be conducted.
no plastic containers)
Questioned Evidence
for us to seek out both the
The following are being submitted as miscellaneous tips that
i which the subject failed to
sample -to -sample, or
should be considered prior to and during the DNA evidence
issues", as well as the more
ressed enough There
collection process....
rent, that being when the subject
;e which will both: a)
Positive considerations
e considers to be "too important"
nd possibly eliminate
saliva: cigarette butts, ski masks, envelopes,
By doing so we gain a greater
stamps.
eject himself and the issues he
• seminal fluid: oral, rectal, vaginal swabs, clothing.
hancing the analysis process.
blood: (if the stain is visible - DNA results are
point of "clusters" home, if this
-mly lifted from non-
likely)
the approximate time the crime
fingerprint tape. This
hair
dd be significant. If there are
size and shape of the
Negative considerations
isitivity surrounding this gap,
lift. Of course, the lift
. urine and feces.
,reases. If we note "unjustified"
a piece of plain white
biological samples contaminated with soil.
the statement, again the potential
er be used (in lieu of
. some substrates (jeans - denim) have proven to
I. so on and so forth. The more
1) due to the fad that
compromise DNA analysis.
resent within the statement, the
"breath" As with the
Wear protective outer clothing, as well as the standard latex
is deceptive. That may sound
separate envelope.
gloves. Since the crime scene examiner is subjected to
a microscope to find deception
exposure to elements, it is recommended that the outer
the chances are great that it is
crimmalist needs to
clothing be changed upon returning to the scene after
ire with the suspect
leaving.
Finally - maintain the samples at ambient conditions or
the intent of this article is not to
creme scene examiner
cooler. Room temperature is acceptable, refrigeration is
ment Analysis, but to increase
erve a control sample
desirable, and freezing is preferred.
resource. I believe that the more
sample is treated. For
REMEMBER - practice common sense. DonY let the
hi it our disposal, the greater
the control sample be
collection of biological evidence be intimidating. If
g the ultimate goal in any and all
Ie. By collecting the
sound procedures are followed, successful and
i that is to uncover and document
ice of contaminating it
thorough crime scene work can be accomplished in a
uid as the subsequent
safe manner. with valuable evidence in hand.
training 2
The following is a listing of training, which MAY be
available. DO NOT consider this a posting. Any
requests to attend based on this listing will not be
considered a request to attend.
CALENDAR of EVENTS
TRAINING EVENT
PLACE lowA CITY, TIFFIN, CRPD RANGE
DATE WEEK OF OCT. 16
Fall training, firearms qualification
TRAINING EVENT
PLACE MTTU IV
DATE Nov.28-30
Basic Reid Interview/Interrogations
TRAINING EVENT
PLACE MTTU IV
DATE Nov.20-22
Domestic Violence Training
TRAINING EVENT
PLACE ROCK ISLAND
DATE OCT. STH
Firearms Trafficking
ACCREDITATION UPDATE
G/O 99-01 Police Pursuits has been reviewed and re -issued
as is and classified as a red order with a review date of 8/01.
G/O 99-08 In -Car Recording Devices has been reviewed and
re -issued as a green order. Traffic will be reissued early
this month
During the month of Sept. there are no orders due for
review, however in Oct the following orders are due for
review. 99-09 Vehicle Crashes, 99-10 Domestics, and 99-
11 Arrests. If you have any comments or concerns on any
of these orders forward them to me by Sept. 20" so they
may be considered.
One of the areas, which cause agencies problems in the
accreditation process, is in the area of property/evidence
control. To address these standards and more importantly,
to maintain the integrity of the property/evidentiary system
the order relating to property and evidence will be coming
out in the near future. This order will primarily deal with
the intake and submission of property/evidence to the
property section. The handling and disposition of the
propery/evidence once submitted to the property section will
be detailed in the SOPS for the Property section.
continued rrom page
Obtaining the Statement F I I-- E-nJ
In obtaining a statement from an individual, we must first
distinguishbetween,'tpv (gff mt�y*OPIta"ents.
1) Specific Statement: A Flatement pr! *4 d by the subject
in regards to a arti I . `� L- l
• A witness reporting an armed robbery.
• A victim of a sexual assault
• A driver involved in a serious motor vehicle
accident
2) An Alibi Statement A statement obtained covering a
particular time -frame.
• "Write down everything from the time you got to
work until the time you left"
• "Write down everything from the time you woke
up until the time you went to bed."
• "Write down everything from the time you left
your house until the time you arrived at work."
In both circumstances, it is essential that the subject provide
his or her statement with the least amount of influence from
the investigator as possible. The subject should not be
questioned prior to obtaining the initial "pure statement".
Obviously, in almost all cases, the subject will have talked
to someone prior to the arrival of the detectives, such as the
initial responding officers at the scene, medical personnel,
witnesses, bystanders, or an accomplice. Just keep it in mind
that the more questioning the subject undergoes prior to
providing an "open statement" the less effective the analysis
of the statement may be.
We will first deal with the Alibi Statement. With this type of
statement, we will provide the subject with the "borders"
within which we ask him to tell us everything that happened
during this time frame. This would be effective with cases
such as internal theft, where an employee may be suspected
of stealing money from their employer. If this theft occurred
on a particular shift, ask all the employees to "Write down
everything that happened from the time you got to work
until the time you ended your day". The information
provided within the statements will enable a detective to
focus the investigation to the most probable suspect, thereby
eliminating the majority of the employees from further
interviews. The obvious advantages are that you do not
waste your time interviewing 20, 30, 40 or more people who
know nothing about the crime, but you become focused on
the most probable subjects. From a personal perspective
regarding time and case management, this should be gladly
accepted, freeing you up to pursue the important leads in the
case or other more pressing investigations to which you are
assigned. Some key points we would look for in Alibi
statements may be; did the subject provide information
"outside" of the borders of your instructions, telling us what
happened before or after that period. If so, this would be
sensitive and important information. Other points may be
that the subject "skips" over a period of time within this
statement, or the flow of the statement may (cant pg. 5)
"speed up" or "slow down". Or if the subjects language
ImIning 3
changes in reference to a particular person or object, or if
there are "linguistic signals" showing sensitivity at a
particular place within the subjects statement These
observations will be very significant if the time they occur
within the statement is the time we suspect the crime to have
been committed.
In a Specific Statement we do not want to provide the
subject with a starting or ending place. We would simply
ask the subject to "Please tell me everything that
happened...". In these cases we allow the subject to set the
borders, and in doing so it will provide us with more
information and enable us to better evaluate the statement.
In a Specific statement, such as a case where a female
reported she was raped, some points we would consider are
the "borders" she provided. In doing so we divide the
statement into three sections. These three sections being
information she provides prior to, during and after the
assault. The 'balance of the statement" will be evaluated by
comparing these sections to each other, and to the statement
as a whole. Changes in the subject's language would be
analyzed and the context in which these changes occurred
would be evaluated to see if the change was "justified" by
the circumstances.
Pronouns used by the subject would be analyzed, noting any
changes in them throughout the statement. Specifically the
pronoun WE would be of importance in such cases, noting
where it entered the statement and where it is missing from
the statement. In such a case if the victim uses WE in the
statement during the assault, in reference to her and the
suspect, this would be a signal of deception. This may be
due to a variety of reasons, such as maybe she knows the
suspect but doesn't want to tell us, or maybe she was a
willing partner and subsequently had a change of heart, or
maybe it didn't happen. Answers to these questions may be
revealed through the complete analysis of her statement.
There are many other aspects that would be analyzed for
both the Alibi and Specific statement, and there are also
advanced principles off statement analysis, which can be
utilized to further your investigation and lead you to a
successful conclusion. However the purpose of this article is
only to bring an awareness of this resource of Statement
Analysis to law enforcement, and it is not intended to be a
training manual for the analysis of statements.
The Big Picture
Once the analysis of a statement has been completed, we
must stand back and view the statement as a whole before
making a judgment as to the truthfulness of this information.
The statement must "shout" that it is deceptive before we
state that it is deceptive. There should be several points
within the statement indicating deception is present. The
same principle exists with interview and interrogation when
we look for "clusters" of deceptive behavior from the person
we are interviewing. We would not consider a subject we
are interviewing as "deceptive" just because he scratched his
nose. However, if he scratched his nose as he was leaning
away from you, then crossed his arms and legs, at the same
time he broke eye contact with you, this may indicate a
problem. This would be especially important if this occurred
in response to a "key" question, when the subject did not
exhibit such behavior previously.
So it is with Statement Analysis. If we have a statement
where there is evidence that the subject jumped over or
skipped a period of time, we would not state that this subject
is deceptive based solely on int_ Tiic gap in time
would be noted and expanded u a a,il � inquiry into
the statement, which is beyond the scope of this article. The
reason we would not autorriatkaY sump the subject is
deceptive because of the'0 'ssde, is 4haf tb persii tells us
"everything" that happened, only everything they think is
important for us to know. T1G3t m iy,leaG i formation out
which they believe is not j@W14 tT, :on, iufot *r 4 that they
believe is too important for us to know. An example of
someone leaving out information that they believe is
"unimportant" for us to know, may be an alibi statement,
which contains a gap of missing time, and also contains
linguistic signals indicating sensitivity in a particular area
within the statement. If upon further inquiry, it is revealed
that the subject failed to tell us that he had an argument with
his wife at this time over dinner, which was not related to
the issue at hand, we could safely conclude this subject to be
truthful. However since he removed that "link" from the
statement there was evidence of that still remaining in the
statement This is referred to as an "outside issue", which is
an area of sensitivity for the subject, but not necessarily
related to the crime. An example of leaving out information
that is too important would be a husband reporting that his
wife is missing, and he provides the police with an alibi
statement detailing his activities for the day. However, there
is missing time surrounded by areas of sensitivity, which
cannot be justified through further inquiry, and no
justification can be found within the statement itself. There
may be changes in language, pronouns, or other "red flags"
which may indicate deception, and which are not "justified
changes" based upon the content of the information. At this
point, follow-up inquiry would be conducted.
I believe it is important for us to seek out both the
"unimportant" information which the subject failed to
disclose, i.e. any "outside issues", as well as the more
sinister aspect of concealment, that being when the subject
omits information which he considers to be "too important"
to include his statement. By doing so we gain a greater
understanding of the subject himself and the issues he
presents, thereby further enhancing the analysis process.
However, to bring this point of "clusters" home, if this
missing time correlates to the approximate time the crime
was committed, this would be significant. If there are
linguistic signals of sensitivity surrounding this gap,
suspicion of deception increases. If we note "unjustified"
changes in language within the statement, again the potential
of deception has increased, so on and so forth. The more
indicators of deception present within the statement, the
more likely it is that it is deceptive. That may sound
simplistic, but if we need a microscope to find deception
within a statement, then the chances are great that it is
truthful.
Conclusion
It is important to state that the intent of this article is not to
train individuals in Statement Analysis, but to increase
awareness of this valuable resource. I believe that the more
knowledge and training we have at our disposal, the greater
our chances are of reaching the ultimate goal in any and all
criminal investigations, and that is to uncover and document
the TRUTH.
training 5
QC-V-��
IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
TRAINING BULLETIN 01-09
August 7th, 2000
Commanders (All Sworn)
k.hurd
WT 01-04 Hate Crimes
This weeks watch training deals with Hate Crimes. The attached video
discusses steps officers should take when a hate crime is suspected. Each
watch has been provided a copy of this video. The video contains three different
segments. The watch training deals with the 2nd section which runs approx. 8
minutes.. While officers are welcome to watch sections 1 and 3, they are of
limited value. The section for this watch training begins with the visual
"Responding to Hate Crimes Segment 2". This segment runs approx. 7 minutes.
We will probably using segments one and three in the future.
For the first viewing, the tapes are set to begin at the correct spot. Personnel
who normally sign off on Capt. Widmer's sheet, need to contact me to view the
tape.
Cc: Chief Winkelhake
Capt. Hamey
Capt. Widmer
M
Watch Training 01-04
Response to Hate Crimes
Scenario - You respond to an assault. Upon your arrival you speak with the w/m,
Catholic repairman/victim who stated that while he was walking out of the Synagogue he
was struck repeatedly be the suspect whom he had observed spray painting swastikas on
the side of the synagogue. He states that during the attack the suspect was constantly
shouting, "Hitler was right".
Critical Issues - What is a hate crime. Does the fact that the repairman was not a
member of "targeted" group change the fact? If there was not an assault, could the
mischief be classified as a Hate Crime? How should I proceed?
Discussion - Iowa Code section 729A.2 defines hate crimes. Violation of individual
rights —hate crime.
"Hate crime" means one of the following public offenses when committed against a
person or a person's property because of the person's race, color, religion, ancestry,
national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability, or the
person's association with a person of a certain race, color, religion, ancestry, national
origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability:
1. Assault in violation of individual rights under section 708.2C.
2. Violations of individual rights under section 712.9.
3. Criminal mischief in violation of individual rights under section 716.6A.
4. Trespass in violation of individual rights under section 716.8, subsections 3 and 4.
In the above scenario while the victim was not a member of the "target" group he would
fall under the "...or the persons association with a person with..." section of the code.
When you as an officer suspects that the crime is a Hate Crime you need to approach the
victim with a heightened state of empathy in addition to the normal procedures yo;:
would take with dealing with offense. In addition the officer must thoroughly document
any possible indicators that the crime was a hate crime. I.e. documenting statements
made by the suspect, any associated graffiti, or the possession of "hate literature" in the
possession of the suspect. Additionally the first responding officer should contact a
watch supervisor and request they respond to the scene. Officers need to ask themselves
"Would the event have occurred if the subjects were from the same group?"
Officers should neither confirm nor deny that the act was a hate crime as this will be
determined later in the investigation after consultation with the County Atty.'s office.
The attached video covers steps which the initial officer should take when it is:
determined that the event may be a hate/bias crime.
'.J
rV
IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
TRAINING BULLETIN 01-12
August 14th, 2000
Commanders (All Sworn)
k.hurd
WT 01-12 Child Abuse Indicators
This weeks watch training deals with Child Abuse. The WT identifies clues which
may indicate that the child has been a victim of abuse or neglect, and their
presence should alert officers to the fact that they need to investigate the incident
in more detail.
Cc: Chief Winkelhake
Capt. Harney
Capt. Widmer
Watch Training 01-12
Child Abuse Indicators
Scenario - You respond to an apartment ref. a 6 year old neighbor child being aggressive
and making sexually explicit comments to other neighborhood children. The complainant
also advises that the child has been home from school for the past week.
Critical Issues - What are some of the more common indicators of child abuse? If
indicators are present what should be done?
Discussion - While there is no one sign that will definitely indicate a child has been
abused, following are some signs which may indicate that there has been abuse and that
you as responding officer should spend a additional time determining what has gone on.
1. Unexplained injuries - While children frequently incur injuries bruising is less
common in areas with more soft tissue such as the buttock. Bruising on the ears,
neck and small of the back rarely occur when a body falls onto a flat surface. A
typical "red flag" is bruised ears. If they are present officers need to check further as
to the cause of the injury. Additionally, deliberate physical abuse is primarily found
on the victim's back from the neck down to the back of the knees. Is the mechanism
consistent with the injury? Are there bums, what was the explanation for these?
2. Deterioration of health and personal hygiene - While this is not necessarily a sign of
abuse, it may indicate child neglect. This is something which would require officers
to check with outside sources to determine if this is deterioration or has been
accepted standard.
3. Failure to thrive - this is often noticed by an outside party who notices an emaciated
child. Has the child been involved in a theft of food?
4. Aggressive behavior - children learn by mimicking their parents or caretakers. They
may start acting aggressively toward other children, both physically and verbally.
5. Sexually inappropriate behavior - An excessive preoccupation with sexual activity
may indicate the child as been abused.
6. Regressive behavior - Has/does the child exhibit behavior that is out of character for
their age group. Have they regressed to earlier forms of behavior?
7. Fear of a particular person or place - A child who strongly objects to visiting a
particular person or place should be interviewed as to the reason. Is the child
reluctant to leave school? This may indicate the child is afraid to go home.
8. Fear of abandonment - Does the child cling to you and resist you leaving? This may
indicate that the child is left alone for extended periods.
9. Sleep disturbance/nightmares - Recurring nightmares or insomnia may be a symptom
of abuse.
10. Withdrawal from family and friends - children often blame themselves for Ebe,anger
and violence directed at them. _
11. Poor performance in school - Doing poorly may be the result of neglect or abuse.,
Has their school performance deteriorated?
12. Truancy - Irregular attendance or unexplained absence from school or day care may.
indicate that the child may be kept home to hide suspicious injuries.
w
The presence of any of the above indicators DOES NOT mean the child is a victim of
abuse or neglect but their presence should tip officers that they need to investigate the
incident in more detail. If the officer believes that the child is a victim of abuse or
neglect, he/she should contact a watch supervisor and a determination should be made as
to calling an investigator. Photos should be taken of any injuries and of any conditions
that may be relevant. Officers are mandatory reporters and notification of DHS is
required. This notification needs to be made by phone as soon as practical after
abuse/neglect is suspected. Officers need to notify records to forward a copy of the
reports the next business day.
In many instances a determination may not be made until after a more through
investigation has been completed. This may often times involve the assistance of outside
agencies for examining, evaluating and interviewing the child. While these assist in
completing the investigation and determining what happened, they WILL NOT occur if
the original notifications are not made.
IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAINING BULLETIN 01-14
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
August 21 st, 2000
Commanders (All Sworn)
k.hurd
WT 01-07 Suspicious Package
This weeks' watch training deals with the presence of a suspicious package at a
school. This would be classified as a Bomb Emergency, which means an actual
or suspected device has been found. This differs from a Bomb Threat, which is
where a threat has been received but no actual or suspected device has been
located.
Cc: Chief Winkelhake
Capt. Harney
Capt. Widmer
Watch Training 01-07
Suspicious Package
Scenario - It is 06:15 on a Monday morning and you respond to school ref. suspicious
package sitting against the front door of the bldg. Upon you observe a package the
approx. 9"x 12"0". The package is wrapped in brown "shipping" paper and wrapped in
string. There is no writing visible on the side exposed to you. The complainant is a staff
member of the Before School Program who had originally entered the building from a
side door and noticed the package when she went to unlock the front door. She tells you
that the kids will start arriving in approx. 30 minutes...
Critical Issues - What steps should you take? How should you handle the package?
Does anyone need to be notified? What about the students arriving in the next 30
minutes.
Discussion - The FBI Bomb Data Center has provided the following guidelines for first
responding officers when dealing with a suspected explosive device.
1. Upon encountering a suspicious pkg. that cannot be accounted for, officer SHOULD
NOT attempt to examine the contents, but rather immediately notify the bomb
disposal unit. In the above scenario, the officer should make contact with a watch
supervisor who would request the notification of bomb personnel. The watch
commander would respond to the scene and become the incident commander.
2. Upon identifying a pkg. as suspicious, the area should be evacuated immediately and
completely, ideally to a distance of 300 feet. Evacuated personnel should not have a
direct line of sight to the pkg. Do not approach. In the above scenario, this would be
the evacuation of any personnel in the bldg. and then work outwards until the desired
perimeter is established. Bottom line, bomb personnel are not going to approach a
suspicious device until they are geared up in several thousand dollars worth of
protective gear. Is your uniform, vest, and boots up to the job?
3. Survey personnel to determine whether the pkg. was momentarily misplaced or
represents a real threat. Also attempt to identify a time frame in which the pkg. was
left. School administration should be contacted ASAP in an attempt to see if they
may know the contents of the pkg. I.e. were they expecting something to be dropped
off? Have there been recent threats,
4. Radio communications should be minimized or eliminated within the perimeter. Yes
this will cause a delay in communication but the device may be activated by a radio
signal.
In the above scenario efforts would need to be made to contact families scheduled to drop
off their children for the before school program. Bomb personnel would have to respond
and evaluate the pkg. prior to being able to giving an estimated time to clear theincjdent.
Arrangements should be made to check other schools for similar pkgs. Other
considerations? -
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These type incidents will greatly tax the resources of the department. Additionally there
will be the pressure to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, however the potential
consequences of "rushing" to finish these type incidents can be catastrophic.
Note: this scenario is based on the existence of a suspicious pkg. which is classified as a
bomb emergency, and not a bomb threat in which no actual or suspicious devices have
been located.
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71
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IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
TRAINING BULLETIN 01-14
August 28th, 2000
Commanders (All Sworn)
k.hurd
WT 01-11
This weeks' watch training reviews steps an officer may consider when dealing
with a subject who may be resistive or non -compliant. When this is anticipated or
indicators are present that this may be the case, when practical the initial officer
should wait for additional units prior to instituting the contact. The WT lists tactics
an officer may take to increase the reactionary time available to them until the
arrival of a 2n,unit.
Cc: Chief Winkelhake
Capt. Hamey
Capt. Widmer
Watch Training 01-11
A.O.D.
Scenario - You respond to a person causing a disturbance call. Upon your arrival you
locate a female who is shouting threats and making violent gestures at people. You
approach the subject in an attempt to find out what is happening and ID those involved.
Critical Issues - What steps can you take to decrease the likelihood that the, subject will
be able to successfully assault you. What steps can you take to increase the reaction time
available to you?
Discussion - A defensive term known as Awareness, Obstacles, Distance (A.O.D.) has
been coined to identify steps officers can take to increase the reaction time available to
them. The three components are broken down as follows:
AWARENESS - Overall awareness will increase ones available reaction time
significantly. The old adage Action is faster than reaction while correct may be
minimized when the officer anticipates the acts of another person. If you fail to
anticipate potential danger, you will not be able to react effectively. The actions of the
other person may be anticipated by observing the "body language" of the person you are
interacting with. Remember Verbal Judo and Indicators that should signal that an action
might be forthcoming.
OBSTACLES - Placing obstacles between yourself and the potential aggressor increases
your reaction time and may inhibit assaultive behavior. Placing the corner of your squad
car between yourself and the suspect would cause the subject to have to clear the obstacle
prior to making contact with the officer. Inside a building positioning yourselt` so there is
furniture between yourself and the subject will increase the amount of reaction time
available. Conversely, if a decision is made to arrest the subject, you need to make sure
there are no obstacles between you and the suspect prior to initiating cuffing or hands-on
techniques.
DISTANCE - The 'Reactionary Gap" is an excellent means of increasing reaction time in
most situations.... however on a daily basis you must deal with individuals in close
proximity. With this in mind, every weapon; hands, feet, knife etc. has a limited range.
If you suspect that the subject is going to be assaultive, maintaining the maximum
distance practical will increase the available reaction time.
In instances where distance is not practical, Awareness and Obstacles will help you
maximize your reaction time.
In instances where you suspect a subject is going to be assaultive or combative, -'- r
whenever possible you should wait for a second unit prior to making contact, -When
waiting for a second unit is not practical you need to take steps those steps available to
minimize your exposure. }
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