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Memo: Redefining “resistance” and considering alternatives
Austin City Council directed the Office of Police Oversight (OPO) to assist in rewriting the Austin Police Department’s (APD) General Orders, which are policies that all APD officers must follow. To do this, OPO examined and analyzed: (1) the way other comparable police departments define resistance and the different types of resistance a person can display, (2) practices used by police departments in other countries that utilize unarmed policing, and (3) tactics and tools that other police departments use to avoid using lethal and less-lethal munitions or weapons. There are two types of munitions, which are defined as follows:
a. Less-lethal munitions: projectiles fired from a launcher such as a pump-action shotgun. Upon impact, less-lethal munitions can lead to injury, incapacitation, or death. Examples of less-lethal munitions include beanbag rounds and rubber bullets.
b. Lethal munitions: ammunition projected from a traditional firearm such as a pistol or rifle. Upon impact, lethal munitions can lead to injury, incapacitation, or death. Examples of lethal munitions include traditional bullets.
Based on our research and findings, APD’s General Orders fail to define the term “resistance” or clearly identify behavior that constitutes resistance in situations when a person does not comply with an officer’s orders.
In this memo to the City Manager, OPO recommends that APD:
- Clearly define these terms in the General Orders: non-compliance, resistance, passive resistance, defensive resistance, aggressive resistance, deadly resistance.
- Explore and apply alternative tactics than can be used before lethal and less-lethal force.
- Improve training and policies on alternatives to the use of force.
- Align training with community policing values.
- Improve training and policies on officer intervention.
Download the memo to read more details about our research and analysis on resistance, use of force, and improvements to APD’s General Orders.
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Memo: Redefiniendo la “resistencia” y tomando en cuenta las alternativas
El Concejo Municipal de Austin ordenó a la Oficina de Fiscalización de la Policía (OPO) a que asistiera en la nueva redacción de las Órdenes Generales del Departamento de Policía de Austin (APD), las cuales son políticas que todos los oficiales de APD deben cumplir. Para lograr esto, la OPO examinó y analizó: (1) la manera en que otros departamentos de policía comparables definen resistencia y los distintos tipos de resistencia que una persona puede mostrar; (2) prácticas que usan los departamentos de policía en otros países en los que la policía no está armada, y (3) tácticas y herramientas que otros departamentos de policía usan para evitar usar municiones o armas letales y menos letales. Existen dos tipos de municiones, los cuales se definen como:
a. Municiones menos letales: proyectiles disparados desde un dispositivo tal como una escopeta con aire a presión. Al hacer impacto, las municiones menos letales pueden ocasionar lesiones, incapacidad o muerte. Algunos ejemplos de municiones menos letales incluyen bolsas de frijoles y balas de goma.
b. Municiones letales: municiones proyectadas desde un arma de fuego tradicional, como una pistola o rifle. Al hacer impacto, las municiones letales pueden causar lesiones, incapacidad o muerte. Algunos ejemplos de municiones letales incluyen balas tradicionales.
Según nuestras investigaciones y hallazgos, las Órdenes Generales de APD no definen el término "resistencia" ni identifican claramente el comportamiento que constituye resistencia en situaciones en las que una persona no obedece las órdenes de un oficial.
En este memorando al Administrador Municipal, la OPO recomienda que APD:
- Defina claramente estos términos en las Órdenes Generales: no obedecer, resistencia, resistencia pasiva, resistencia defensiva, resistencia agresiva y resistencia mortal.
- Explore y aplique tácticas alternas que se puedan usar antes de emplear fuerza letal y menos letal.
- Mejore la capacitación y las políticas sobre alternativas al uso de fuerza.
- Alinee la capacitación con los valores de la labor policial en la comunidad.
- Mejore la capacitación y las políticas sobre la intervención de oficiales.
Descargue el memorando para leer más detalles sobre nuestras investigaciones y análisis sobre resistencia, uso de fuerza y mejoras a las Órdenes Generales de APD.
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Memo: Redefining “resistance” and considering alternatives
Austin City Council directed the Office of Police Oversight (OPO) to assist in rewriting the Austin Police Department’s (APD) General Orders, which are policies that all APD officers must follow. To do this, OPO examined and analyzed: (1) the way other comparable police departments define resistance and the different types of resistance a person can display, (2) practices used by police departments in other countries that utilize unarmed policing, and (3) tactics and tools that other police departments use to avoid using lethal and less-lethal munitions or weapons. There are two types of munitions, which are defined as follows:
a. Less-lethal munitions: projectiles fired from a launcher such as a pump-action shotgun. Upon impact, less-lethal munitions can lead to injury, incapacitation, or death. Examples of less-lethal munitions include beanbag rounds and rubber bullets.
b. Lethal munitions: ammunition projected from a traditional firearm such as a pistol or rifle. Upon impact, lethal munitions can lead to injury, incapacitation, or death. Examples of lethal munitions include traditional bullets.
Based on our research and findings, APD’s General Orders fail to define the term “resistance” or clearly identify behavior that constitutes resistance in situations when a person does not comply with an officer’s orders.
In this memo to the City Manager, OPO recommends that APD:
- Clearly define these terms in the General Orders: non-compliance, resistance, passive resistance, defensive resistance, aggressive resistance, deadly resistance.
- Explore and apply alternative tactics than can be used before lethal and less-lethal force.
- Improve training and policies on alternatives to the use of force.
- Align training with community policing values.
- Improve training and policies on officer intervention.
Download the memo to read more details about our research and analysis on resistance, use of force, and improvements to APD’s General Orders.