The director of the Department of Public Safety said he plans to complete a draft of a new Use of Force policy this afternoon, and the changes are meant to make the guidelines more specific to the University community.
The current policy, which was last updated in 2001, is very similar to the Eugene Police Department’s, and parts of DPS’ policy have been taken verbatim from EPD’s.
“We provide service to a very different constituency,” DPS Director Kevin Williams said. “What may work in Eugene may not work for the University of Oregon.”
The new policy is just the first in a series of updates for the department. Williams plans to revise the department’s entire policy manual this year to make it congruent with DPS’ mission, which Williams says is to serve and educate. “I think the problem with the old policy was that it really didn’t address a lot of what we do,” said DPS Cpl. Royce Myers.
A section of the current policy that states, “Striking someone on the head or neck with an ASP baton potentially constitutes use of deadly force. … Striking other parts of the body does not constitute deadly force” is inaccurate, Myers said.
“There is no, ‘it potentially constitutes,’” he said. “It does constitute the use of deadly force.”
When Myers trained other officers, he explicitly told them to ignore that portion. “That’s not a very good policy. You’re going to get people in a lot of trouble right there.”
Myers said it’s not good practice to have to train officers differently than what the policy states.
“If you have a good policy, and good training, and each reflects the other, then the officers employing that force are going to know what they’re doing when it comes time to use it,” he said. “When you write those policies they have to be legally correct.”
Williams reviewed Use of Force policies from other institutions within the Oregon University System, and he also has a suggested Use of Force policy written by Myers at his disposal.
The Taser incidents involving campus police at UCLA and University of Florida are examples of why the University needs a stringent policy, Williams said.
“We don’t need those types of things happening at the University of Oregon,” he said, adding that he’s not sure if DPS will ever get Tasers. Officers carry mace, handcuffs and a collapsible baton.
The completed draft will go to University General Counsel Melinda Grier and Vice President of Finance and Administration Frances Dyke. “I expect it to be significantly scrutinized,” Williams said.