Latest news with #PeaceOfficerStandardsandTraining
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The still unfinished business of police reform
When lawmakers finally reached agreement on the wide-ranging piece of reform legislation in 2020 — which ranged from banning choke holds to creating new standards for certifying those with arrest powers — they largely punted on a change that would have made it easier for victims of police misconduct to get justice while still leaving in place protections for the vast majority of officers who do the job honorably. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up That reform involves the complicated issue of qualified immunity for police officers — a doctrine that rightly shields police from civil lawsuits while doing their duty but has also shielded many of those bad actors accused of abusing police powers. Advertisement The issue is far from theoretical here. A Advertisement The Innocence Project warned a As a practical matter, victims' only option is typically to take their chances in federal court. The police reform law made only one tweak in the rather contentious immunity doctrine here and that was to remove its blanket protections from those officers who had been decertified. Bigda has But as the American Civil Liberties Union told that same commission, the POST's process of decertification can take years, and '[v]ictims of violence should not have to wait for an administrative process to conclude before they can have their day in court.' Now the lawmakers who chaired that special commission — which failed to reach consensus on major changes to qualified immunity in 2022 — are attempting to make good on one of its recommendations, by easing the path for such suits using the state's civil rights law. The language should be removed because those are far from the only kinds of misconduct; for instance, the commission's report lays out a hypothetical scenario in which an officer shoots someone without justification but can avoid liability because a gunshot isn't 'threats, intimidation, or coercion.' Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, called the phrase a 'crucial flaw' in the law. Advertisement 'This language is unique to Massachusetts, and it means that even egregious cases of police misconduct often don't get past the courthouse steps,' she said in a statement to the editorial board. 'That's obviously wrong, and it's just one reason why [the bill] is so sorely needed.' The bill, she added, 'would allow courts to break the cycle of misconduct and establish clear legal guidelines to stop police from acting with impunity.' Police in the state, including the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, and the Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police registered their opposition to the bill during a recent 'This is not about shielding misconduct,' Eric Atstupenas, general counsel to the chiefs association, told the Judiciary Committee. 'Accountability certainly exists through federal litigation, through [Peace Officer Standards and Training] decertification, through strong internal discipline. What does not exist is a state ready for the wave of litigation this bill would invite.' He's right in that nearly all lawsuits today are indeed pursued in federal court. But those efforts are often to little avail. 'If this bill were to become law, the state would become the preferred forum, not because it serves victims any better but because it becomes the force of leverage, or it creates leverage, not justice,' Atstupenas said. 'It's going to create longer timelines, higher costs, more settlements driven by financial pressures, not by the merits of the particular case.' Frankly, though, the idea of creating some legal 'leverage' for victims of police misconduct and more timely settlements doesn't sound like a bad thing — if it makes police departments sit up and take notice of misconduct and deal with it promptly, rather than close ranks around officers unworthy of the uniform. Advertisement Since the death of George Floyd, a number of states — Colorado, New Mexico, and Connecticut to name just a few — have continued to whittle away at their police immunity laws. This is far from the total dismantling of police immunity many advocates wanted during the fight for the police reform bill, but it is a worthwhile improvement in delivering justice that is still a work in progress. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Los Angeles Times
25-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach introduces police-led e-bike training program
The rise of e-bikes has brought an exciting new way to get around, but not without consequences. Huntington Beach had 147 reported e-bike crashes in 2024, more than double the amount reported two years prior. Mayor Pat Burns said he saw another close call just recently. 'I saw several kids blow right through a red light, clueless to how close they came to getting slaughtered by the oncoming cars,' he said. 'They're getting more daring with their wheelies, putting their front wheels up and going fast.' The Huntington Beach Police Department has addressed the issue by instituting a police-led student e-bike safety program. The free course, which held a session and associated news conference Wednesday morning at Spring View Middle School in Huntington Beach, is intended for youth e-bike riders. The 70-minute sessions are designed to replicate real-world scenarios at increasingly challenging speeds, offering lessons on emergency braking, obstacle navigation, reaction-time awareness and helmet use. Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Mike Thomas developed the curriculum based on a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified 40-hour training and leads the course, along with his colleagues on the force. It is believed to be the first such police-led training course to be instituted in the state. Though Surf City is the first to start such a program, 24 police officers from 10 agencies statewide have already completed the POST e-bike safety instructor training. Police Chief Eric Parra said the program is valuable for children as well as parents, who are required to attend the course as well. He said more kids are also running from the police, which can turn a simpler citation into a court case. In September 2023, the Huntington Beach City Council voted to amend the city's municipal code to give police more leeway to crack down on dangerous riders. 'You can tell kids how to act and how to behave and how to ride,' Parra said. 'But when you show them physically how 20 miles an hour is so much different than 10, then they start to realize, 'Not only did they tell me, but I see it.' Then it becomes effective. Experiential learning is the only way to go.' Amy Frias, Children's Hospital of Orange County community educator, shared at Wednesday's news conference that CHOC has seen a huge increase in e-bike related trauma visits since 2019. Many involve untrained and underage riders, and more than half of them are not wearing a helmet, Frias said. 'E-bike injuries we are looking at are more like severe car crashes,' Frias said. 'We're talking concussions, we're talking fractures. We had an [orthopedic doctor] that did a big paper on the patella, the top of the knee, that was shattered. These are not things that we normally see in kids, these types of injuries. They're severe, they take a long time to heal and it's just very scary.' Officials said that the Huntington Beach Union High School District is reviewing the program for potential district-wide adoption this fall. If approved, it could become a mandatory requirement for students who ride e-bikes to school. Cindy Ortega attended Wednesday's training with her son, Vincent, who is going into the seventh grade at Mesa View Middle School in Huntington Beach. She said she had no idea how dangerous e-bikes were, or how fast they could actually go. 'When you're going alongside cars, it's pretty scary,' she said. 'If he wants to take [his bike] to school, it's important that he knows what to be aware of, how to maneuver and stop at the right time.' Vincent, 11, said he had seen many riders even younger than himself. 'We just need everybody to follow the rules and not try to be all cool, thinking that they can do all of these wheelies in front of cars,' he said. More e-bike safety events will be scheduled throughout the summer, including three additional public training sessions on Friday back at Spring View. Vendors and partners will provide safety materials, helmet fittings and e-bike raffle giveaways.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Torrance police officers plead guilty to painting swastika on car
Two former Torrance police officers pleaded guilty recently to felony vandalism charges for spray painting a victim's vehicle with a swastika in January 2020. Christopher Tomsic and Cody Weldin pled guilty Thursday after initially pleading not guilty to the charges in 2021. The victim's vehicle was tied to a reported mail theft and was taken to a tow yard. When the defendants in the mail theft case came to pick up their car, they discovered the swastika painted on the car's rear seat, as well as a happy face painted on the front seat. 'Vandalizing property with hateful messages is reprehensible and violates the oath police officers take to uphold the law and protect and serve their communities,' District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. L.A. County unveils $47.9 billion budget amid 'unprecedented financial challenges' Tomsic and Weldin, both 32, pleaded guilty to one count each of felon vandalism and were sentenced to two years of formal probation, restitution to the victim, the surrender of their Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification, 100 hours of community service, a tour of the Museum of Tolerance and 15 hours of Anti-Racism coursework, the D.A.'s office stated. In addition, officials ensured Tomsic and Weldin 'will never again work as police officers in our state,' Hochman said. The Torrance Police Department was commended by the D.A.'s Office for its swift action against the officers. 'The actions of these former officers were disgraceful and violated the core values of our department,' Torrance Police Chief Jeremiah Hart said. A progress report is scheduled for July 10 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GA lawmaker pushes for sexual assault kit testing reform, new oversight committee
Atlanta Rep. Scott Holcomb introduced a bill to create a statewide sexual assault kit tracking system and reform the process in Georgia for sexual assault and rape investigations. The Sexual Assault Reform Act of 2025 was filed to create the Forensic Medical Examination Advisory Committee and to make new rules and training protocols for forensic medical examinations and testing. The new rules include a more in-depth system for tracking and maintaining evidence from sexual assault kits and making the status available to check anonymously for victims of sexual assault who submit kits for testing. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to House Bill 518, 'The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council shall create and operate a state-wide sexual assault kit tracking system. The council may contract with state or out-of-state entities including, but not limited to, private software and technology providers, for the creation, operation, and maintenance of the system.' Holcomb's proposal would require that all evidence submitted from a sexual assault kit be submitted to law enforcement officers for investigation within 30 days of being collected and the evidence must be received in compliance with the proposed law, unless victims request in writing to not test the evidence. The committee would also be charged with creating training protocols and regulations for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners to be trained and certified, including forensic exam and clinical training protocols. The bill's proposal to create an examination committee would have 12 members appointed by the Georgia governor and must include four registered nurses with certification in forensic nursing. Additionally, one must be a representative from the Georgia Board of Nursing, one must be from the Georgia Nurses Association and two must be licensed providers who are advanced practitioners. Other members of the proposed committee would include a Peace Officer Standards and Training certified officer, a prosecuting attorney, an employee of the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and one victims' rights advocate, as well as four others. Appointments would last for various term lengths, depending on position, and vacancies would be filled by appointment of the governor. The committee would also have to report on the average time each law enforcement agency in Georgia takes to collect sexual assault kits from reported sexual assaults, the number of kits generated for reported cases and the number of kits that have been tested. TRENDING STORIES: Police say Atlanta rapper's 'cowardly' actions led to innocent teens' birthday party murders Georgia lawmakers file bill to require notifications when deeds filed by non-owners 57 sets of cremains found in fire-damaged Cobb County funeral home identified The jurisdictions where sexual assaults were reported but kits have not been submitted for testing to the Division of Forensic Sciences of the GBI would also have to be tracked and reported. The reports would be provided to the executive counsel of the Governor, the Georgia Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, members of the House and Senate's judiciary committees, the House Committee on Public and Community Health and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The reports would also have to be published on the GBI's public website and it must include the number of sexual assault kits tested in the same year as well as the number awaiting testing. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported in December that there were 2,298 assault kits tested from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The same data set from the GBI said there were 480 kits still awaiting testing as of June 30, 2024 and for kits submitted before 1999, there were evidence kits from '1,612 cases have been identified that need DNA analysis based on a review by the GBI Crime Laboratory and requests from law enforcement or prosecuting agencies. 837 cases were tested as of June 30, 2024.' The legislation would also ban selling over-the-counter sexual assault evidence kits, adding an up to $1,000 fine or violations. So far, HB 518 has no co-sponsors in the Georgia House, but was on the agenda for the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee in the House on Wednesday. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
