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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCITIZEN REVIEW BOARD - MINUTES - 09/10/2025 (2) Citizen Review Board REGULAR MEETING September 10, 2025 – 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Ave, Colorado River Room (Main Floor) 1. CALL TO ORDER – Called to order at 5:30 PM by Shamera Loose 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present: Shamera Loose, Mike O’Malley, Valerie Krier, Melissa Rosas, Amy Hoeven, Veronica Olivas, Michael Ruttenberg b. Staff Present: Assistant City Attorney Sara Arfmann, Lieutenant Jackie Pearson, Jessica Jones 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION a. Public Input – None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. August 13, 2025: Motion to approve by Amy Hoeven, which was seconded by Melissa Rosas, Motion passed. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Voicemail: None b. E-mail: None c. Training: Less Lethal Training with Lieutenant Martinez Lieutenant Martinez has been with FCPS for thirty years and has been part of the SWAT Team for 21 years. He is a commander, which means he is charge of Bomb, K9, SWAT and Strategic Operations. He has coordinated Less Lethal since 1998, and attributes the Less Lethal program to a significant decrease in officer involved shootings. The officers in this unit are trained by nationally recognized trainers, with instructor-level trainings. Pepperball is designed to give a little bit of impact and a little bit of pain compliance. It is good for large fights and suspects in vehicles. It only leaves welts, though anyone hit with one is still evaluated by a medical professional. Board Member Question: If an officer gets exposed, what is the decon for that? Fresh air, most of all. It happens all the time, sometimes they are launched and then the direction of the wind changes and everyone gets hit. The officers are trained to work through it, if necessary. Board Member Question: Did you say that pepperball gives pain compliance? Yes. They may leave a welt, but the primary impact is through pain compliance. There is no lasting trauma to the target area. Board Member Question: With OC, are you targeting a person or the ground next to them? It depends on the situation. With a large fight, an officer wouldn’t want to target directly and may use the ground. If a suspect is around a corner, an officer would just want to get it on the ground next to him. If it is a big open area with a clear shot, that would be when an officer is targeting to directly hit the person. 40 mm is a less lethal launcher, which is the most accurate system that FCPS has. It has the most kinetic energy, so it impacts the person quickly. It will leave bruises, but it still pales in comparison to a bullet wound. Board Member Question: Does it crack ribs? It could, but officers do not target the chest. They target thighs, shoulders, arms, or the abdomen. If a person is armed, an officer will target the abdomen, since it is a hard hit. People who are struck with these are taken to the hospital. Board Member Question: Is the 40 mm more accurate than a handgun? With handguns, officers are trained to hit the center of a person, so it seems counterintuitive with less lethal weapons not to target the center. Officers pick different parts of the body, based on the situation. A bullet is perfect in motion, whereas less lethal is less perfect in its path, so the officers need more time to aim. Board Member Question: Does it only launch 1 at a time, or can you have more than one loaded? Only one. As it is going down the range, the officer is watching to see how effective the first shot is. The second attempt will all depend on that. Some law enforcement agencies do not have access to less lethal weapons, and if that is the case, they should at least have a 12 gauge with a bean bag round. The good thing about less lethal systems is that they do not penetrate the body, while a bean bag round can. FCPS has a new taser system, which is much more accurate. The old model had 2 probes, with about a 50% success rate. We’ve only had 1 failure out of 9 applications with the new model. Since two probes have to connect to the body for the taser to work, the fact that it has 10 rounds means that the officers have more opportunities to hit. Board Member Question: Do the officers only know that the probe hit by the subject response? Yes, and it also gives an auditory warning that it has connected. The officer has the ability to keep the subject under power until other officers are able to take them into custody. An officer can be out 40 feet and still safely take a suspect into custody. Board Member Question: Are you allowed to use tasers on animals? Yes, officers are allowed to use them on animals, and would rather use this than have to shoot them. Officers have been in situations in which pit bulls were charging them, and they were able to hit the animal with the taser instead. Board Member Question: Is it two pulls of the trigger to get the taser to work? Yes, as opposed to one pull for two probes, which is why it is much more accurate. Sometimes, suspects even hear the warning sound and will allow themselves to be taken into custody just because they heard it. Board Member Question: Is this taser system just for law enforcement? Yes, but they have a different system for civilians. Board Member Question: How quickly do they release bodycam footage? FCPS usually does not release bodycam footage until after the review and investigation has taken place. If it is a unique situation, like a case that has gone viral, the Chief may make the decision to release footage to the public. Board Member Question: With pepperball shots, would it be appropriate for officers to switch the area they are targeting depending on the situation?