By David Chanen, Star Tribune
Last update: April 25, 2007 – 12:24 AM
Minneapolis police officers who need to subdue a suspect are more often reaching for the electric jolt of their Taser gun than they have in the past.
More than 21 percent of the 876 use of force incidents reported by officers in 2006 involved a Taser. The increase in force incidents from 723 in 2005 was largely because of the purchase of more than 100 Tasers in the last year, said Chief Tim Dolan.
Incidents in which officers use a chemical spray, a baton, hands or feet, a gun or another weapon are highlighted in the Police Department's annual report that will be made public today. While use of force incidents increased last year, arrests in the city climbed 16 percent to more than 53,000 last year. That amounts to one use of force incident for about every 60 arrests.
Factors in the rise in use of force cases include better reporting of such incidents and more officers being on the streets, Dolan said. The department has hired at least 70 officers in the last year and a half, many of whom are inexperienced, he said.
"I know some of these numbers will be a concern to people," he said. "This is a unique report. It's good to get the information out and be more transparent. We're being accountable to the community."
The rise in force reports also came as officers were working against a rise in serious crime reports across the city.
Who is the subject of force?
For the first time, the report examined the race of people involved in officer-reported use of force incidents. Blacks made up more than 64 percent of the cases, followed by whites at 19 percent. The numbers mirrored the percentage of blacks and whites arrested citywide, which should be expected, Dolan said.
Shane Price, coordinator of the African American Men Project, a Hennepin County initiative, said he appreciated the Police Department being up front about what he called "its shortcomings with its overt use of force." He said Dolan is doing the right thing by "letting the numbers come out and letting these issues be debated pro and con.
"These issues have been couched for far too long," Price said. "I'm one of the guys who get the complaints from these brothers saying the police roughed them up. I hear that. It's not good, and it definitely needs to stop."
The Police Department's internal affairs unit investigated 172 complaints in 2006, 71 more than the previous year. Nearly half of the incidents took place in the First Precinct, which covers downtown, and the Fourth Precinct, which consists of the city's North Side.
Use of force allegations accounted for 32 percent of the cases handled by the internal affairs unit. Lt. Susan Piontek said investigators rarely receive a complaint from the public about the use of force that doesn't have a report already filed by an officer.
Fewer cases reported in 2006 have been sustained, but at least 39 cases are pending investigation or discipline. In 2005, seven officers were fired or resigned before they would be fired, compared to three officers in 2006.
Other means used less
In 2005, Tasers were used in 5 percent of force incidents, compared to 21 percent in 2006. Guns, chemical spray and hands or feet were deployed less frequently than in 2005, according to the report. Police shot and killed three people last year.
Internal affairs hasn't received any complaints because an officer used a Taser, said Deputy Chief Scott Gerlicher. In the next couple of weeks, he plans to ask the City Council for approximately $800,000 over the next three years to fund the purchase of 300 more Tasers, which would put a Taser in the hands of every officer on the street.
"Officers have become more comfortable using Tasers," he said "They see how Tasers save lives."
Although there was no complaint to internal affairs, the city has paid out $35,000 to settle a lawsuit involving Taser use, Gerlicher said. In 2006, police misconduct lawsuits cost the city $650,000. That total was $1.4 million in 2005.
What's next?
To try to avert complaints over use of force, the Police Department is developing an "Early Intervention System" that will identify trends in officer behavior based on sick time, citizen complaints and other factors. It's an effort to fix a potential problem through counseling or reassigning the officer to another job or precinct, Dolan said.
More police departments are starting to produce reports about use of force incidents, said Sam Walker, professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and author of 11 books about policing. When examining use of force data, it would be useful to note whether the person resisted or was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he said.
The increase in Taser use is significant only if other forms of force are reduced, he said.
"Overall, a report like Minneapolis' is a good thing because it builds public trust," he said.
Staff writer Terry Collins contributed to this report. David Chanen • 612-673-4465 • dchanen@startribune.com
