Sonoma Sheriff defends his department’s use-of-force policies

Statement to Sonoma County community from Sheriff Mark Essick:

“Our county and our nation is in upheaval. George Floyd should not have died. The actions by those Minneapolis police officers are sickening and inexcusable. Their actions do not reflect the values, culture, policies, or training of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

“To our community members who are peacefully protesting: we hear you. In addition to protests, we’ve received a flurry of emails from residents asking about our use of force policies in relation to a report card from the organization 8cantwait. There are several significant errors in their reporting. We address the most concerning errors below and encourage each of you to read our policies and training programs on our website: https://www.sonomasheriff.org/policies-and-training.

•“Ban chokeholds and strangleholds.” These holds are not allowed.
•“Require exhausting other means before shooting.” Consistent with State law, policy allows deputies to use lethal force if it is objectively reasonable that there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to themselves or another person.
•“Duty to intervene.” Deputies have a duty to intervene per Use of Force policy (policy 300).
•“Ban shooting at moving vehicles.” Deputies shall not discharge a firearm from or at a moving vehicle, except when necessary in the defense of the deputy’s life or the life of another person.
•“Require de-escalation.” Every member of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is expected to utilize de-escalation techniques whenever possible, and only use force as necessary.

“The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office led the effort to establish Crisis Intervention Training, which all our deputies complete. This training includes de-escalation, mental health crises, implicit bias, and cultural competence. The Sheriff’s Office started this program in 2008 and has trained well over 600 law enforcement personnel including deputies, peace officers from every local police department, correctional deputies, dispatchers, and civilians.

“We are constantly evaluating our use of force policies and every use of force is documented, investigated, and reviewed. To provide context, deputies use force in 0.3% of all contacts and 4.45% of all arrests on average. Use of force is a last resort when the safety of our community members and deputies is at risk. Our Use of force and firearms training exceeds State requirements.

“We will continue to serve you with the highest level of professionalism. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and stay accountable to each other and to the public. We are constantly evaluating our policies, training, and performance and looking for ways to improve. We are committed to engaging with you and remaining transparent. Thank you for taking the time to read this statement.”