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AGENDA ITEM – 1A <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: June 29, 2020 <br /> <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br /> <br />FROM: Dave Perrault, City Administrator <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Policing in the City of Arden Hills <br /> <br /> Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: <br /> N/A N/A N/A <br /> <br />For Council Consideration <br /> <br />Representatives from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office will be present for a discussion on <br />policing in the City of Arden Hills. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />At its June 8, 2020 special meeting, the City Council instructed staff to coordinate a discussion <br />with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office regarding policing in the City of Arden Hills, and <br />policing generally in the contract cities. The Council requested the Sheriff’s Office address the <br />eight use of force policy concerns below, as well as give an overview on deputy union contracts <br />and how those affect discipline and discuss qualified immunity. It should also be noted that a <br />contract city wide discussion with the Sheriff’s Office and the cities of Arden Hills, Falcon <br />Heights, Little Canada, North Oaks, Shoreview, White Bear Township, and Vadnais Heights was <br />raised at the previous Sheriff’s meeting, the Sheriff’s Office agreed it is a discussion that should <br />happen; the Sheriff’s Office is working on the logistics for a future larger meeting. <br /> <br />Use of Force policy concerns (these concerns are nationwide concerns, the Sheriff’s Office will <br />discuss their policies and how they relate to the below): <br /> <br />1. Failing to require officers to de-escalate situations, where possible, by communicating with <br />subjects, maintaining distance, and otherwise eliminating the need to use force. <br /> <br />2. Allowing officers to choke or strangle civilians, in many cases where less lethal force could be <br />used instead, resulting in the unnecessary death or serious injury of civilians. <br /> <br />3. Failing to require officers to intervene and stop excessive force used by other officers and <br />report these incidents immediately to a supervisor.