I watched them announce this live!!! Obviously the POLICE in FERGUSON did not get the memo!!!! They still are UNABLE to DIRECT TRAFFIC AROUND PROTESTERS as promised!!!! The announcement was delivered by St. Louis mayor and two black men - not the CHIEF OF POLICE in St. Louis or Ferguson!!! Was this just an empty political gesture - because it sure is NOT being adhered to????????? It appears so. Friday and Saturday protests and actions by police were just business as usual. :/ Proposed Rules of (Engagement) Conduct * The first priority shall be preservation of human life. (Unified Command Agrees) * Police will wear only the attire minimally required for their safety. Specialized riot gear will be avoided except as a last resort. (Unified Command Agrees with first sentence. Police will use protective gear when needed to protect police officers. It will not be used to intimidate protesters.) * Crowd control equipment such as armored vehicles, rubber bullets, rifles and tear gas will not be used. (Unified Command believes public safety should determine the best tools to keep people safe.) Police or other government authorities will not interfere with the free flow of information through tactics such as limiting cell or internet access, interception of cell or other mobile conversations or unwarranted wiretaps. (Unified Command Agrees) * Every attempt will be made to pinpoint arrests so that only individual lawbreakers will be arrested. “Kettling” and mass arrests will not be used. (Unified Command Agrees with the first sentence. Police will only arrest demonstrators who violate the law.) * Safe houses shall be considered sacred ground and only entered by police when called upon or if extremely necessary. (Unified Command will honor safe houses. Subterfuge will not be used to enter. However, life safety and exigent circumstances are valid reasons to enter.) * Media and Legal Observers shall not be considered participants in protests and shall be allowed to do their jobs freely. Unified Command believes everyone should be treated as general public (Parties acknowledge and agree that media and members of the public have a right to record public events without abridgment unless it obstructs the activity or safety of others or physically interferes with the ability of law enforcement officers to perform their duties.) * Every attempt will be made to provide alternate routes or other means for non-involved persons to get to places of employment and meet other transportation necessities. (Unified Command Agrees) Strategically, police commanders will allow protests to take and occupy larger and more disruptive spaces than would normally be tolerated, and will allow occupation of those spaces for longer periods of time than would normally be tolerated. (Case by case basis) * Clear standards of professionalism and sound community friendly-policing will be maintained and adhered to at all times. (Unified Command Agrees) * Police will be instructed to be more tolerant of more minor lawbreaking (such as thrown water bottles) when deciding whether to escalate the use of force. (Police will only take action to protect public safety. They will not use singular minor offenses as an excuse to disband protests. Unified Command also believes that peaceful demonstrators should speak out against actions that threaten public safety, and should work with police to stop them.) * Police rank and file will be instructed to provide every latitude to allow for free assembly and expression, treating protesters as citizens and not “enemy combatants.” (Unified Command Agrees) Excessive force and other forms of police misconduct will not be tolerated. (Unified Command Agrees and encourages Coalition to renounce violence and aggressive acts towards Police Officers and citizens.) * Intimidation and harassment of protesters will not be tolerated. This includes pretextual pedestrian or traffic stops, contacting of employers or family members, pre-emptive arrests or detention of “leaders,” publishing of private information and any other means of intimidation and harassment. (Unified Command agrees and also believes that the Coalition should renounce harassment of police officers and the release of personal information by protesters.) * Bond for arrestees will not be set above the levels which would be considered average over the last two years, and arrestees will not be held for periods longer than average lengths of time. Medical care will be liberally made available. Attorneys will be able to travel to and meet with clients without impediments. (Bond for arrestees will not be set at levels greater than is customary for like charges under ordinary circumstances; arrestees will not be held or confined for longer than is customary for like charges under ordinary circumstances; corrections officials will meet their obligations under law to provide medical care, and provide attorneys reasonable and reasonably timely access to their clients and information about their clients’ status.) * Police will give protesters 48 hour advance notice before grand jury decision is announced. (Not under the purview of the Unified Command) * Channels of communication will be established so that situations can be de-escalated if necessary. (Unified Command Agrees) Police will provide to the public information that makes clear the chain of command, who is making what decisions and the processes for deciding when the police response will be escalated. (Unified Command Agrees) * Every attempt should be made to communicate with protesters to reach “common sense” agreements based on these protocols, both ahead of time and at the scene of protests. (Unified Command Agrees) fusion.net/story/29344/ferguson-lays-down-19-rules-of-engagement-ahead-of-expected-grand-jury-protests/
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:11:24 +0000
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