Courage • Commitment • Honor • Integrity • Respect
Recognizing the devastating circumstances surrounding the killing of George Floyd, the City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Police Department embrace the need for public discussion and transparency on policies and procedures regarding use of force.
The City Council has already requested a review of department policies and is committed to hearing from community members and other stakeholders about their concerns and suggestions regarding use of force.
We will be meeting with community members and other stakeholders to listen to their concerns and suggestions about our policies and procedures, and we promise an inclusive approach so that all viewpoints may be shared. Our “listening” will be more important than our “talking.”
Giving our officers the authority to use reasonable force to protect the public and themselves requires monitoring, evaluation and a careful balancing of all interests. It is important to note that the science and practice of public safety is evolving, and we continually seek to use best methods available as we serve the community.
The ‘8CantWait’ movement has documented eight policy suggestions regarding the use of force by law enforcement. The training standards of BHPD exceed those mandated by California’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Below is an explanation of how our policies compare to the ‘8CantWait’ recommendations:
- Restricting, or prohibiting, the use of chokeholds, strangleholds, and carotid restraints
We do not allow for the use of “chokeholds” or “strangleholds” and have suspended the use of the Carotid Control Hold.
- Requiring officers to de-escalate situations, when possible, before using force
De-escalation techniques are employed regularly with the goal of resolving the crisis or incident without the application of any physical force. We train our officers on de-escalation techniques to use during crisis intervention, persons suffering a mental health crisis, disputes and other law enforcement contacts.
- Requiring officers to give a verbal warning before using deadly force
We train our officers to provide a warning before the application of any type of force, especially deadly force, whenever possible.
- Requiring officers to exhaust all other reasonable alternatives before resorting to using deadly force
Our officers only use the amount of force that reasonably appears necessary given the facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time. Before deadly force is used, officers should evaluate the use of other non-deadly force options. Deadly force may only be used if the officer believes there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person, or to apprehend a fleeing person if the officer has reason to believe that person will cause death or serious injury to another person.
- Requiring officers to intervene to stop another officer from using excessive force
We require our officers to intercede to prevent the use of unreasonable force and also require the reporting of those instances to a supervisor. Reports of excessive use of force, generated internally or externally, are fully investigated and violations of policy are subject to discipline up to termination.
- Prohibiting officers from shooting at people in moving vehicles unless the person poses a deadly threat by means other than the vehicle
Our policy dictates this tactic can only be used when there are no other reasonable means available to address the threat of great bodily harm posed by the vehicle.
- Using a Force Continuum or Matrix that defines and limits the types of force that can be used to respond to specific types of resistance
Our officers only use the amount of force that reasonably appears necessary given the facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time. We provide training to our officers on verbal communication and de-escalation strategies, physical control hold techniques without the use of any weapons or tools and the proper use of a variety of non-lethal options. We mandate training and the availability of proper equipment to ensure our officers have many options available when they encounter a situation that may require a law enforcement intervention.
- Requiring comprehensive reporting that includes both uses of force and threats of force
We require that all officers make a written report for every use of force, including those that are considered to be minor. All applications of force must be reported to a supervisor as soon as possible. All applications of force are reviewed by a commanding officer who determines whether the use of force was appropriate and within policy. As required by California law, we report all officer-involved shootings or applications of force resulting in serious bodily injury to the California Department of Justice.
We are constantly reviewing our policy and procedures manual. Our core values respect human life and dignity without prejudice to anyone. We strive every day to stringently uphold these values and will continue to vigilantly seek feedback from those we serve. To provide feedback, visit beverlyhills.org/TIP
