Social Media Misuse Is Costly. Are Your Fire and EMS Departments Prepared?

A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Specialist Troy Walsh

I’m sure by now you have all heard about the unfortunate events surrounding the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others, including the $31 million in damages awarded to family members for the graphic photos that sheriff deputies and firefighters took at the scene.

But what about the emergency responders, investigation photos, or just the conversations that occurred around this tragic event? Social media is ever-changing, and it’s becoming increasingly more important to manage from a liability perspective. 

Do you have a plan if a high-profile incident happens in your community? Do you have a policy? These types of events happen every day, and we need to look at the ramifications of social media if it’s misused. In this day and age, it is essential for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) departments to understand that the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act also applies to video and digital images, including the use on a privately owned device.  

Check Out LMC’s Model Policies for Social Media and Digital Images

The League of Minnesota Cities has a model social media policy for fire and EMS departments to ensure that the information shared is not private, confidential, or sensitive. Additionally, all fire and EMS department should have a policy on taking images (digital, video, or otherwise) while on duty and the dissemination of those images, including on social media. A model social media and digital images policy is also available for your considered use.  

These policies are great starting points for anyone in public safety to educate your staff members in the proper use of social media and the protections of digital images. Additionally, there are many other liability topics addressed in the LMC fire department management and liability issues information memo.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at twalsh@lmc.org or (651) 281-1231. 

Remember:   Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay warm and be safe!

Troy

Nationwide 9-8-8 Hotline Connects Callers With Mental Health Crisis Counselors

In the past, most people in a mental health crisis would call the general 911 emergency line for help. Although the 911 system is convenient for deploying first responders, it can be an ineffective way to connect people to behavioral health services that do not always require a police response.  

Additionally, each year millions of Americans, including emergency responders, experience thoughts of suicide but do not call 911.

To better serve our country’s growing mental health needs, the Federal Communications Commission recently designated and transitioned to “9-8-8” as a nationwide mental health crisis and suicide prevention phone number. The new 988 dialing code directly connects callers to trained mental health crisis counselors and responders within the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network, creating a valuable opportunity to increase connections to accessible mental health crisis care.  

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is an easy-to-remember code for anyone experiencing a suicidal, mental health, or substance use related crisis. Since the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched on July 16, call centers have seen a 45% increase in use – primarily in people texting or sending messages seeking help – compared to last year, according to new data from the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Download the FCC “988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Fact Sheet” (pdf) 

People who call or text 988 will be connected to a crisis center near them. Lawmakers and mental health advocates also see this new hotline as an opportunity to transform the mental health care system, reduce confrontations with law enforcement, and make additional crisis care services easily available in communities across the United States. Cities and counties nationwide are building or expanding their own community responder programs to meet their local needs.

Law Enforcement-Mental Health Collaboration Support Center provides free resources, training 

The Law Enforcement-Mental Health Collaboration Support Center is administered by the Council of State Governments (CSG) and offers free training, resources, and support to communities wanting to improve their law enforcement and community response models to people with behavioral health conditions or intellectual and development disabilities. Learn more about the community responder models by checking out the CSG Justice Center’s Expanding First Response Toolkit. Additionally, the CSG has just released the Expanding First Response Assessment Tool, which will help communities determine where they are in planning, implementing, and sustaining community responder programs that position health professionals and community members trained in crisis response as first responders. The assessment tool provides valuable insight and practical information for law enforcement agencies exploring alternative responses to mental health related calls.

This resource is supported by a Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grant awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. Any state, locality, or federally recognized tribal government, as well as organizations such as non-profit behavioral health organizations, criminal justice agencies, and service providers, can request assistance from the Law Enforcement-Mental Health Support Center. 

Send your questions or comments to tstille@lmc.org or give me a call at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful.

Tracy

Grant Program Strives to Equip Every Law Enforcement Vehicle in Minnesota With Lifesaving Device

A grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to the Center for Resuscitation Medicine (CRM) at the University of Minnesota will provide law enforcement, state and national parks, and other first responders with automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. 

The three-year project funded through an $18.8 million grant from Helmsley aims to equip every law enforcement vehicle in the state with a Stryker CR2 AED and train law enforcement professionals to deliver immediate care prior to arrival of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The investment is the latest effort from Helmsley to increase access to these lifesaving devices, which are key to treating victims of cardiac arrest and improving patient outcomes. In partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School, 8,300 AEDs will be distributed to local, state, and federal agencies across urban, suburban, and rural Minnesota. The AEDs will be distributed throughout the state by region. A plan is also in place to consider urgent needs so that an agency does not need to wait for their region to be eligible.

The grant is to replace all devices in an agency plus any additional needs. Any department participating must accept units for every vehicle in their fleet; the grant is not for single or additional needs. This will ensure that your department has the newest equipment and can benefit from the comprehensive service and quality assurance plans that are included with the AED.

The requirements of the grant are very easy. One person from your agency must attend regional training and they will be given tools to bring back to share with the entire department. Once the training at your department is complete, AEDs will be shipped directly to your department, typically within a couple weeks. A team at Stryker and the CRM will be available to assist with implementation.  

There are several additional benefits of this program, including an 8-year service plan that includes a case review and unit management tool for free. 

Using Wi-Fi connectivity, these self-monitoring devices can report their status to a centralized online data repository, allowing law enforcement agencies to know their devices are ready or in need of maintenance. For more information about this unique grant program, watch this KSTP news story or visit the Minnesota AED Project website for additional materials. 

Applications are submitted through the Helmsley Trust’s Grants Portal and you may email mnaed@umn.edu with questions about this grant or contact me direct at tstille@lmc.org or by phone at (651) 215-4051.  

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful!

Tracy 

Stretch N’ Bend Exercise Program Aims to Reduce Firefighter Injuries

A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Specialist Troy Walsh

Fire service is a physically demanding job, and firefighters are often called “tactical athletes” as they require physical training aimed at optimizing their occupational physical and mental performance.  

Firefighters must be prepared at a moment’s notice to respond to an emergency. Their personal protection equipment (PPE) needs to be assembled and ready, apparatuses should be cleaned and organized, and equipment must be fueled or charged for quick deployment, but what about “us” — the firefighters? Are we physically prepared? 

Think like an athlete

An example of physically demanding
firefighter training.

Let’s look at athletes and their preparation for a competition that requires a certain level of physical fitness and skill. Baseball players are frequently stretching their legs and bodies to be ready to make a quick run to first. They play catch to warm-up their arms, shoulders, and wrists since they will need to throw and catch at some point in the game! 

How about you? If you play golf, do you walk up to the first tee box and just tee up the ball and swing away? No, 99% of us will hit the driving range or take a few practice swings at the tee box, while others have a whole routine before they play. If we do this for a game, why aren’t we doing this as firefighters? Remember — firefighters are tactical athletes.

Incorporate physical preparation into your training

There are different staffing models in the fire service, including career firefighters, part-time, paid-on-call, duty-crew, and volunteers. We almost never know when an emergency is going to come in, and it’s sometimes difficult to prepare our bodies for the physical demands of the job. Depending on your staffing model, you can incorporate some physical preparations into your crews. 

Let’s look at training, especially physical training. This should be a controlled environment, and in most cases a lot of preparation is included in a successful training event. The goal of training is to educate members, sharpen-skills, and build muscle memory. If this is such a controlled event, why are sprain & stain injuries the largest claims in firefighter training? Are we preparing for the physical demands of the training event by warming up our bodies for the hands-on skills we are about to complete? 

Again, firefighters are tactical athletes … 

Simple stretches can help prevent injuries

Firefighters do Stretch N' Bend
exercises prior to training.

The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust promotes a Stretch ‘N Bend Program for Public Safety to reduce worker injuries. This program is modeled after the Stretch ‘N Bend Program at Mortenson Construction.

Included in your training plan, you can complete the Stretch ‘N Bend exercises in less than 10 minutes. These quick and easy exercises can be completed during your training briefing, safety review, or a stand-alone practice. 

The goals of the Stretch N’ Bend Program are not only to help reduce —if not eliminate —injuries, but also to prepare your body for work activities, increase flexibility, promote blood circulation, improve range of motion, enhance muscle coordination and body awareness, delay muscle fatigue, and increase team morale.  

Free Stretch ‘N Bend Program PowerPoint

Interested in learning more about the Stretch ‘N Bend program for everyday use within your fire department? Please email me at twalsh@lmc.org and I will send you a free PowerPoint template that outlines the exercise program and can be personalized for your department! 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at twalsh@lmc.org or (651) 281-1231. 

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay warm and be safe! 

Troy

Best Practices in Law Enforcement Responses to Mental Health Crises

Many law enforcement agencies are experiencing a high demand for crisis services but have no clear answers for what to do about it. 

Recent statistics show about 20% of adults and 50% of adolescents in the United States live with a mental illness. Estimates also show between 6% and 10% of all police calls involve someone with a serious mental illness. These calls can all too often end in tragedy or people with a mental illness end up in jail. Studies have also estimated that up to 25% of all police shootings in recent years have involved people with a mental illness.

The League of Minnesota Cities recently partnered with the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and the Minnesota Sheriffs Association to develop a guide for best practices in mental health crisis response among law enforcement personnel. The guide’s content was written by attorney Bill Everett, principal of Everett Law LLC and a former police officer, and is based on a series of meetings with key law enforcement and mental health professionals from all areas of the state.

The best practices guide outlines the current response challenges faced by agencies and identifies realistic solutions and approaches for addressing those challenges based on a set of mutually agreed-upon guiding principles.

Download the guide, “Best Practices in Law Enforcement Responses to Mental Health Crises” (pdf)

Send your questions or comments to tstille@lmc.org or call me at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful - 

Tracy

The Power of Peer Support: Low-Cost Peer Support Training Available This Fall

A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Program Coordinator Lora Setter, lsetter@lmc.org

“When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.” - Fred Rogers 

This quote from Mr. Rogers captures the spirit of public safety peer support. Because of the nature of their job duties, public safety professionals see and do things that are outside of the normal human experience. They are routinely exposed to trauma and death, which can take its toll on their mental health. Talking to a specially trained peer, can provide the psychological first aid needed to minimize or help negate the impact of those experiences. 

Peer support personnel are trained in specific knowledge areas such as active listening, confidentiality, suicide prevention, chemical dependency behaviors, signs and symptoms of PTSD, basic wellness, and positive relationship-building. Talking to a trained peer can provide trusted communication, encouragement, and an increased understanding of the emotional impact of critical incidents and traumatic events. When needed, peer support team members can afford colleagues with resources and referrals for a higher level of support before a psychological illness may become career-ending. 

Public safety departments are facing hiring and retention challenges, which make it even more important to create supportive, caring organizations that focus on employee wellness. The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) encourages public safety entities to invest in the vital resource of peer support in the prevention, recognition, and support of public safety mental health. To help promote peer support initiatives, LMCIT has created a Peer Support Advisory Board made up of police, fire, and mental health professionals. The board provides recommendations and assists with the prioritization of LMCIT initiatives regarding peer support. 

One of the Board’s initiatives is to provide peer support training to public safety entities across the state. To aid in that initiative, this fall the LMCIT is hosting Peer Support Training at three locations: 

• Nov. 1-2 — Cottage Grove
• Nov. 3-4 — Marshall
• Nov. 29-30 — Waite Park

Fee: $100 for League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust members; $450 for non-members (fee includes lunch and refreshments)

A survey of public safety leaders across Minnesota showed that both police and fire leaders view peer support programs as a helpful public safety mental health strategy. They see the power in peer support. 

For more information about this fall’s peer support training and to register, visit the League’s Peer Support Training webpage.

Join Us for the Police Force Science Workshop

During this era of police reform, de-escalation training is one of many hot topics that are being discussed and highly embraced by law enforcement professionals as well as the community. De-escalation and response to resistance techniques have the potential to help prevent the need to use force in many encounters between police and community members.    

As with many issues in law enforcement, the entire concept of de-escalation and the use of force is complex. Every day, law enforcement officers across Minnesota and the nation deal with challenging encounters on the job. Most of these incidents result in successful and peaceful non-forceful resolutions, although some don’t always go smoothly — especially when dealing with a combative and uncooperative individual.  

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Center for Police Research and Policy (UC) recently published guidelines on how to begin evaluating an agency’s de-escalation practices. These guidelines were developed using versions of the Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) training program by a multi-disciplinary group including police officers, attorneys, and subject-matter experts and are designed for police leaders interested in assessing and enhancing their agency’s capacity to implement, evaluate, and monitor de-escalation training and policies.  

As a police officer for many years, I can attest that police officers would like to avoid the need to use force whenever possible, although there are times when force is necessary to resolve a situation and avoid an escalation of an incident which could lead to a dangerous outcome including a critical incident.

An important component of effective de-escalation of an incident is training, and a cornerstone of good training is stressing the importance of communication that involves the incorporation of physical practice and scenario-based role-playing exercises in all areas of law enforcement operations.  

This fall, the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) is sponsoring a workshop developed by the Force Science Institute that will teach police officers how to best handle these critical situations —while keeping both officers and the public safe.  

Just recently, Force Science achieved national certification and international recognition for their Force Science courses thru the National Certification Program (NCP) of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST). The course will cover many aspects of human psychology, police tactics and techniques, and negotiation strategies.

Register Today!

Registration for Force Science Institute Realistic De-escalation Training workshop is now open at lmc.org/22policeworkshop. This workshop has been approved for eight hours of POST credits for conflict management/mediation.

This workshop will be held at two locations, and the course fee has been reduced to $50 for LMCIT members (the fee for non-members is $295).

• Sept. 27 (8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.), Hero Training Center, Cottage Grove
• Sept. 28 (8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.), The Park Event Center, Waite Park

Additional information can be found here and registration questions can be directed to Carlie Derouin, event coordinator, at (651) 281-1258 or cderouin@lmc.org.

If you have any questions about the content of this training opportunity, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a call at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful - 

Tracy

OSHA’s New Heat Safety Directive and Key Points for Public Safety

A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Specialist Troy Walsh

In public safety we don’t always get a choice to change our schedules or move an emergency to another day. How does the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA)  new heat safety directive affect public safety and the weather that we just can’t wait out? If your organization is already doing some type of recycle or rehab cycles for staff you may be already in compliance, but if you’re not it needs to be implemented! 

OSHA implemented a National Emphasis Program (NEP) in April to reduce health-related hazards and resulting injuries and illness caused by excessive heat in the workplace. This article will provide you with the basic information you’ll need to know and give you quick access to additional information.  

Many of you are probably already following this directive: Much of it is common sense. But it’s a good reminder of how to prevent heat-related injuries and illness. Remember, heat stress can happen indoors too. 

Let’s look at the key points of the NEP.

NEP at a glance:

• The NEP is a nationwide initiative modeled on existing Regional Emphasis Programs (REP) in southern states.
• It applies to indoor and outdoor workers where the heat index reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• There will be unannounced on-site visits by compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) who will “observe workers performing strenuous work in heat.”
• Visits may occur based on heat-related complaints, referrals, and reported heat illness. 

Employers should:

• Create a written plan to prevent heat-related illness.
• Provide awareness training to employees.
• Provide specific steps to prevent, identify, and treat heat-related illnesses.
• Identify and control heat hazards.
• Monitor workforce health and consider the current heat index and expected weather-related changes.
• Provide water, rest, and shade. For workers with two-hour or greater exposure times, fluids containing electrolytes must also be accessible.
• Recognize early symptoms of heat stress.
• Administer first aid for heat-related illnesses.
• Activate emergency medical services quickly when needed. 

WHEN IN DOUBT CALL 911 

What if you are 911, do you have a plan?

Most of you are already doing this! Plan your work cycles in accordance with the weather, allows for more frequent and longer breaks in the air-conditioned areas or at least in the shade, drink extra water, keep an eye on each other, and if you or someone else is showing symptoms of heat stress, get additional help! 

A handy heat reference

Last thing, to remember, heat related safety is in the palm of your hand. Literally. Yep, there’s an app for that. The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool includes everything you need including current local weather, a heat index calculator, diagnosis information, and treatment steps for heat illness. Go to https://www.osha.gov/heat/heat-app or the app store of your iPhone or Android and download the “OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool.”

Resources:

OSHA Heat Illness Prevention

OSHA Overview of the standard, impact, rationale, and more  

OSHA Overview of prevention of heat-related illness 

OSHA Overview of treatment and first aid   

OSHA Additional resources and technical information  

OSHA guide for employers (pdf) 

Trade Release from U.S. Department of Labor

Training Videos (free from LMCIT via Coastal Flix)

Safety Matters - Heat Stress

TAKE TWO...for Safety A New T.A.K.E.: Heat Stress

Pause for Performance: Heat Stress Safety

Heat Stress: Code Red

 If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at twalsh@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 281-1231. 

Remember:   Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay cool and be safe!

Troy

‘Running Out of Time’ is Important for Mental Health

A guest post by Public Safety Program Coordinator Lora Setter

A few weeks ago, I was scheduled to fly from Hartford, Connecticut to Minneapolis, and my flight was canceled. The pilots had "run out of time." 

For pilots, running out of time means they’ve reached their ten-hour fly time limit. When two pilots are flying together, they can fly up to ten hours. If they are flying solo, they are grounded at eight hours. 

Pilots’ hours are restricted because their job affects the safety of others. They need to be well rested to safely perform their job duties, as people’s lives depend on them. 

Many public safety departments routinely schedule their personnel for 10- to 12-hour shifts. Personnel are allowed to work up to 16 hours before they run out of time. This is twice the number of hours that a solo pilot is allowed to work. Organizations use these extended shifts because they provide economic benefit, as more hours can be covered with fewer people. Line-level people like these hours and "muscle through" long shifts because they know at the end of their work cycle that they’ll enjoy a longer stretch of time off.  

PTSD Awareness Month and sleep

June is PTSD Awareness Month. A time to acknowledge that PTSD (post- traumatic stress disorder) is preventable and treatable. Getting enough sleep is integral to maintaining positive mental health. Being fatigued creates opportunities for traumatic brain injuries, like PTSD, as well as other risks such as heart disease, cancer, depression, anxiety, etc. 

In this recent Minnesota Reformer article “Thanks to overtime, nearly three-fourths of Minneapolis cops made six-figure incomes last year,” reporter Deena Winter describes how long hours may have contributed to a tragic outcome:

“When former police officer Mohamed Noor clocked in for a 10-hour police shift on the night he shot and killed Justine Ruszczyk in south Minneapolis, he had just finished a seven-hour shift moonlighting as a security guard.

Noor had just 90 minutes off before clocking in for the shift that ended Ruszczyk’s life. He was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for manslaughter after his murder conviction was overturned.”

After World War II, the British government did a study of soldiers who had returned from the front and were suffering from PTSD, or “shell shock” as it was called then. The study revealed that these soldiers had witnessed great trauma and had been in the trenches too long, without getting enough sleep. 

Dr. Roxanne Prichard, an award-winning researcher, speaker, author, and professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of St. Thomas recently presented a League of Minnesota Cities-hosted webinar about “sleep health in the public safety community.” In her presentation, Dr. Prichard speaks about the consequences of poor sleep: physical and mental illnesses, PTSD, performance deficits, and motor vehicle accidents. 

She presents a compelling argument for public safety people to prioritize sleep for positive brain health. Public safety people aren’t superhuman, they have the same biological needs for sleep as pilots and everyone else. With the work they do and the traumas they experience, it’s important that police officers and firefighters aren’t held in the trenches too long — for their own health and because people’s lives depend on them. 

Dr. Prichard’s presentation can be found in the recorded webinars page on the League's website: Sleep Health in First Responders: A Community Safety Issue.

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -

Lora

To Watch or Not to Watch: Reviewing Body-Worn Camera Videos

Body-worn cameras have become a useful tool in many police departments across the state and country. There has been a lot of national debate recently over whether police body-worn camera (BWC) video should be viewed by the officer(s) involved following a critical incident, officer-involved shooting, or serious use-of-force incident. 

We discussed this topic at length a few years ago during our body-worn camera stakeholder workgroup meetings, as there are arguments for and against allowing officers to view BWC footage before filing a report or providing a statement. This workgroup consisted of representatives from the League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, the Minnesota Association of City Attorneys, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and several police departments. This working group met over several months to develop guidance and draft a model policy. 

As a result, the League of Minnesota Cities provided agencies with guidance when making these decisions about viewing body camera footage, which is outlined in the LMC information memo on “Use of Body-Worn Cameras” and accompanying Body-Worn Cameras Model Policy. State law also offers significant guidance on policies governing law enforcement use of body-worn cameras and the resulting data. 

The MGDPA and body-worn camera data

Like all data, body-worn camera footage comes with complications when distinguishing between public, not public, and confidential data. 

Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) section 13.825 Subd. 2 (1), data that documents the “discharge of a firearm by a peace officer in the course of duty” or “the use of force by a peace officer that results in substantial bodily harm” are public data. Therefore, body camera footage that captures such data is also considered public.

The MN Department of Administration’s Data Practices Office (DPO) has written two formal opinions (19-005 and 20-004) on body camera data and has provided guidance on the classification and retention of body-worn camera data. 

Points made in favor of viewing

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) recommends that officers be allowed to review video footage of an event before giving a statement. PERF asserts that “allowing officers to view the recordings will help them remember the events more clearly, which will in turn result in more accurate statements and testimony.” PERF notes that it is extremely unlikely that an officer could ever perceive or recall the same amount of information captured by a digital, high-definition recording device, particularly when under stress. The PERF model recommends allowing officers to review BWC video footage before writing reports, giving statements, or providing testimony concerning typical law enforcement events. As PERF advises, withholding video evidence from an officer until after he or she testifies can “unfairly undermine the officer’s credibility.”

Other researchers, while stopping short of the same recommendation, note that negative downstream effects can occur when officers do not watch the video first, i.e., officers may be accused of lying when their accounts do not perfectly align with the video footage, even though such factors as stress and tunnel vision (i.e., inattention blindness) might fully account for the inaccuracies.

The Force Science Institute has also recently acknowledged the competing approaches to video review during use-of-force investigations and recognizes that the memory-enhancing value of watching videos must be balanced against the risk of memory corruption and the need to maintain public confidence. A recent Force Science Institute article suggested “ways that investigators might mitigate the risks of memory corruption and still benefit from the memory-enhancing effects of video viewing.”

Counterpoints against viewing

Some agencies and professional associations, such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have expressed reservations, however, about allowing officers to view BWC footage and other video evidence prior to giving statements about an officer-involved shooting or other critical incident. A video recording device is likely to take in far more information than the human brain can perceive and process at any given time. 

As a result, when an officer reviews a recording, he or she will likely be introduced to some amount of new information that was neither perceived nor considered as the incident unfolded. Next, because the brain works to fit information into a cohesive narrative, it may be natural for officers to meld the newly acquired data together with their memory of the event to arrive at an account of what happened. 

Once this new information has been taken in, it may be difficult for the officer to differentiate it from his or her “original” memory of what happened. It is also theorized that reviewing video may make it more difficult for officers to recall anything that wasn’t captured on camera, such as events outside the view of the device, as well as internal perceptions and thought processes.

A hybrid approach

Whether or not an agency allows officers to review video footage before being interviewed about a critical incident, PERF’s concern about unreasonably undermining officers’ credibility warrants consideration. BWC footage is likely to bring forward a greater amount of information and more accurate details than would be possible for a human observer or participant. It follows that comparing an officer’s recollection to the video is not a fair measure of credibility or truthfulness.

The LMC model policy provides two options for video review and leaves it to agencies to include guidelines on viewing videos in their policies addressing critical incidents. A separate LMC information memo, Planning for Critical Incident Responses, and an accompanying Critical Incident Response Model Policy, recommends a hybrid approach of: 

1. Not allowing officers to view video before the interview session. 
2. Allowing officers to review the video and other digital evidence during the course of the interview, and then asking questions or allowing opportunities to clarify any issues that surface as a result.
3. Starting the interview process with a recognition that there will likely be some differences between the officer’s memory and the digital evidence. Providing this recognition is recommended to address officers’ fears over uninformed games of “gotcha” being played later by cataloging the differences between human memory and digital recordings. 

Regardless of a police department’s final position on this topic, a written department policy should include language that clearly outlines the department’s rules for video review by officers following a critical incident, officer-involved shooting, or serious use-of-force incident. 

If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051. 

Remember:  Responder Safety = Public Safety.

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful - 

Tracy

Video Series Features Hopkins 'Lights On' Traffic Safety Initiative

Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson

Five short videos highlighting police agencies across the country were recently produced by The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each segment profiles an agency’s innovative approach to engaging the public through traffic safety initiatives. These efforts can be replicated in other communities, improving the quality of life for all. 

Hopkins Police Officer Chris Harriman speaks
 to community members about the
Lights On traffic safety program.

In total, there were five cities across the United States that were highlighted in the IACP traffic safety initiative video series: Alexandria, Virginia; Donalsonville, Georgia; Harrisonville, Missouri; Round Rock, Texas; and Hopkins, Minnesota.                  

Transparent and active

Hopkins is a small, but very diverse Minnesota community. The police department has focused on being transparent by educating community members on what officers do in the community, why they do it, and local policies, procedures, and state laws. Throughout the year, the Hopkins Police Department has built community trust and engagement through public outreach and participation in relationship-building initiatives like Lights On, a grant-funded program that provides vouchers for minor vehicle repairs in lieu of citations. 

The city has also formed the Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC) and the Community Outreach and Relationship Enhancement Team (CORE), and is involved in the Joint Community Police Partnership (JCPP) with several nearby communities to support their efforts.

In addition to the Hopkins Lights On traffic initiative, viewers of the video series can learn about efforts to educate the public on traffic safety using: 

• Social media videos.
• Peer-to-peer school safety messages.
• An innovative traffic reporting program.
• A community-wide traffic safety collaboration. 

View the video series on traffic safety innovations that can be replicated in other communities. 

 If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051. 

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful - 

Tracy

2022 Safety and Loss Control Workshops - Police Track

The 2022 Spring Safety and Loss Control Workshops kicked off this past week in Bemidji and Alexandria! It was certainly nice to get back to meeting in person with our members.

Bill  Everett presenting on the best
practices in police mental health
crisis response.

The morning police track started with a session on the liability of police pursuits and emergency vehicle operation. Police pursuits are on the rise in Minnesota and require an officer to make rapid decisions that can place an officer and the public at risk. A well-written pursuit policy, supervisor responsibilities, and training are all important considerations to reduce your agency’s liabilities and ensure the safety of the public, the police officers involved, and the driver and occupants of the vehicle being pursued. 

The morning continues with a session on best practices for police mental health crisis response. Estimates hold that between six and ten percent of all police calls involve someone with a serious mental illness. Officers can learn how to assess what mental health crisis call response is right for their community, given the available resources. In 2021, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association, and the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust brought a stakeholder group together to discuss these best practices, which range from co-responder teams, mobile crisis response teams, embedded mental health professionals, and police-only programs. 

Commander Brett Mushatt of the St. Cloud Police
Dept. presenting on the importance of peer support
for our public safety personnel.

The day concludes with an afternoon session on the importance of peer support for our public safety personnel. Peer support programs with trained colleagues that know how to provide psychological first aid can help deliver important emotional support that fellow public safety personnel may need during times of personal or professional crisis. Participants learned the benefits of peer support and the basics of creating a peer support program in their agencies.  

The Spring Safety and Loss Control Workshops will continue to travel across the state in the coming weeks. The $20 registration fee includes course materials, snacks, and a lunch. Select one of the schedule dates below if you want to register for the six credits of POST-approved police training:  

April 6 - Mankato

April 19 - St. Cloud

April  21 - St. Paul

April 26 - Plymouth

April 28 - Rochester

If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful - 

Tracy

New Resources on Fentanyl Test Strips Now Available

Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a form of drug testing technology that have shown to be effective at detecting the presence of fentanyl in drug samples. 

Fentanyl test strips are legal to carry in Minnesota as of July 2021. They are no longer within the definition of “drug paraphernalia” in Minnesota statute and are thus legal to possess, carry, and distribute. Learn more at Minnesota Statute 152.01, Subd. 18 (b).

New fact sheets on fentanyl test strips are now available from the MN Department of Health for public health workers and people who use drugs. These fact sheets provide information on the benefits of fentanyl test strips in overdose prevention, how to access and use fentanyl test strips, and other overdose prevention strategies.

• Fentanyl Test Strips to Prevent Drug Overdose - Fact Sheet for Public Health Workers (PDF)
• Fentanyl Test Strips to Prevent Drug Overdose - Fact Sheet for People Who Use Drugs (PDF)

To learn more about FTS and where you can access FTS kits for free in Minnesota, please contact the MDH Drug Overdose Prevention Unit by email at health.drugodprev@state.mn.us. You can also watch a video on how to use fentanyl test strips produced by Utah Naloxone. The FTS kits can be an effective tool for community engagement by police departments and can also have a positive impact on families and individuals who use drugs. 

Background on fentanyl

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is used medically to treat severe pain. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is driving an increase in drug overdose deaths both nationally and in Minnesota. We have seen national overdose deaths soar to a record 92,000 in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A contaminated drug supply is driving much of the surge in overdoses. The most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl. It is sold through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine as a combination product — with or without the user’s knowledge — to increase its euphoric effects. 

You may visit the Minnesota Department of Health’s Opioid Dashboard for more information on opioid overdose death, nonfatal overdose, use, misuse, substance use disorder, prescribing practices, supply, diversion, harm reduction, co-occurring conditions, and social determinants of health.

If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051. 

Remember:  Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful - 

Tracy

Are Police Pursuits Worth the Risk?

Police pursuits in Minnesota have captured the media’s attention due to the rising number of pursuits and their questionable need.

In 2020, Minnesota law enforcement agencies engaged in 3,109 pursuits across the state. This is a 310% increase in the number of pursuits that occurred in 2012, when police engaged in a total of 759. 

Police high-speed pursuits require officers to make rapid decisions that can place an officer and the public at risk. There are many considerations to prepare for when a police pursuit occurs that include: an agency’s pursuit policy, whether to continue or terminate a pursuit, supervisor responsibilities, police tactics, pursuit intervention techniques, and situational-based training that could improve the officer and community safety and reduce your agency’s potential liabilities.

Risk of police vehicle pursuits and policy considerations

Most police policies, including Minnesota’s police pursuit model policy, agree that there is a balancing test between evaluating the need to immediately apprehend the suspect and the risks created by the pursuit. At the same time, we know that that pursuits and emergency response include both psychological and physiological dynamics that may affect an officer’s judgment, perception, and decision-making. 

Recently, there have been several Minnesota police pursuits that have ended in deaths, one of which resulted in criminal charges being filed against the involved officer. In 2020 alone, there were 10 fatalities, including four drivers, three passengers, two uninvolved persons, and one police officer. This has led many agencies to ask, “Are police pursuits worth the risk?” 

Once a pursuit has begun, it is very difficult to control the factors that may lead to an injury or death. What can be controlled is the initiation of a pursuit, which indirectly affects the rate of injury and death. In 2020, approximately 8% of the state’s police pursuits were initiated because of a felony offense, and 55% were initiated because of a DWI or a traffic offense. Although many people believe that pursuits are the cause of unnecessary tragedy, there remains a time and a place for pursuits – when the need for an apprehension exceeds the risks created by the pursuit. 

While potential liability from high-speed pursuit is significant, the law provides protection when agencies:

• Have made their best efforts to draft and implement specific pursuit directives.
• Adequately train officers in the policy and techniques of pursuit driving.
• Closely supervise, review, and evaluate the implementation of pursuit policies.

But the most important reason for effective pursuit policies is not minimization of liability. It is to protect life and property, which is and always will be our basic police duty. 

Many law enforcement agencies, including some prosecuting attorneys, have suggested that police pursuit policies be changed because they are inadequate and do not do enough to protect human life. Some agencies now reserve police pursuits for only the most serious crimes and cases that involve violent felony offenses. Some agencies have also added additional language within their policies that address the justification of a pursuit, the speed of a pursuit, and other factors to consider such as the weather and road conditions, the approach to intersections, and the reasons for terminating a pursuit. 

Foot pursuits carry their own risks

Some law enforcement agencies have also adopted a foot pursuit policy that addresses a number of important safety issues, responsibilities, and alternatives to consider by the pursuing officer and supervisor. Researchers, including the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, have found that foot pursuits are among the enforcement activities that result in the most injuries to officers. Researchers have also found that foot pursuits result in an alarmingly high percentage of officer use-of-force incidents, including officer-involved shootings. 

POST committee to review model pursuit policy

The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) has recently formed a special committee with various law enforcement industry groups that will review and, as deemed necessary, consider changes to the model pursuit policy as required in Minn. Stat. §626.8458 (which was last updated in 2011). It is important that all officers demonstrate the knowledge and skill needed to reduce both criminal and civil liability when involved in emergency and non-emergency vehicle operations. All peace officers not declared exempt on the police pursuit training exemption form must complete an eight-hour course every five years based on the in-service training in emergency vehicle operations and police pursuits learning objectives. 

Learn more about limiting risk

The League of Minnesota Cities has scheduled the 2022 Safety and Loss Control Workshops at various dates and locations in March and April of 2022. As part of this year’s workshops, a session will be held covering the liability of police pursuits and emergency vehicle operation. This will include a discussion by League attorneys on the legal defenses of police pursuits and what your agency can do to limit the risks and potential liabilities of police pursuits. 

If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051. 

Remember:  Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -  

Tracy