Here’s the memo and updated standard operating procedure from the Madison Police Department regarding Officer Involved Critical Incidents.
DATE: November 6, 2013
TO: Office of the Mayor
FROM: Randy Gaber, Interim Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Officer Involved Critical Incidents (OICI)While critical incidents are something to which officers respond many times throughout their career in the performance of their duties, traumatic incidents that involve the officer as a victim, principal, or custodial officer, demand particular and specialized attention. These incidents affect not only the officers involved, but their families, the department as a whole, and the community. The attached updated SOP addresses various needs that stem from Officer Involved Critical Incidents and provides guidance to all who are impacted by these unique and challenging circumstances.
This SOP is the result of months of collaborative effort involving various contributors from both inside and outside the department, to include Management Team; MPPOA leadership; members of the Officer Involved Shooting Team; Personnel and Training; the Dane County Sheriff’s Office; Employee Assistance Program representatives; the Office of the City Attorney; feedback from officers involved in past critical incidents, as well as from the community. In keeping with ongoing department efforts to streamline MPD policies and more accurately distinguish between policy and procedure, this SOP is consistent with our commitment to continuous improvement. It represents best practices for the investigations that often accompany these incidents as well as in providing both immediate and long-term support for involved officers.
Each OICI provides an opportunity for assessment and improvement to better serve the community and the process of responding to, investigating, and providing guidance to personnel involved. This updated SOP includes the following key improvements:
– Broader definition of an OICI beyond just those involving the use of deadly force
– Includes procedures for a blood draw
– Recorded officer interviews
– Defines the role of the outside observer
– Link between the OICI SOP and the Major Case SOP
– Provides a conflict of interest form for team members
– Expands roles and responsibilities of MPD staff
– Preserves the separation of the criminal investigation and administrative review
– Enhances current Peer Support/CISM support by establishing a comprehensive Officer Aftercare protocolIt is important to note that examinations of police responses to officer involved critical incidents are not just a local initiative, but a national trend. Throughout the country, legislation such as that currently in committee here in Wisconsin (AB 409) aimed at establishing uniformed practices and multi-agency investigations into deaths involving law enforcement officers is being introduced. As we enter into the professional and public discourse on this issue, the Madison Police Department is considered a leading agency at both the local and state level in addressing the concerns that this legislation both illuminates and seeks to remedy.
All Officer Involved Critical Incidents pose considerable challenge to officers, department members, and the community. It is our hope that by expanding and improving our OICI SOP, we can mitigate these challenges, support our officers through consistent, competent, and compassionate practices, and continue to provide the excellent services that citizens have come to expect from the Madison Police Department.
The procedure is 18 pages long, so I didn’t review it in detail. Here it is. I haven’t been involved enough to know if these changes are as the are represented in the memo or if the memo is a complete picture of the changes. Hopefully some of our really involved community members will let us know.
I am also curious how the public gives input to this. Doesn’t look like the Police and Fire Commission or the Public Safety Review Board was involved in creating the policy – and there is no indication that they will be and those are the two most obvious places for the public to engage. Tho they do mention community input, I’m unclear how that occurred beyond just the obvious meetings about the Paulie Heenan shooting. This looks more like an announcement of what is. End of story.
Sorry I am not more informed on this very important issue, the community seemed well organized on this issue and I didn’t get too involved.
