Police update officials on use of force
Following the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man at the hands of police in Minneapolis, elected officials in Monterey directed the city’s police department to come back with a plan of action that would ensure the use of unnecessary force would not occur in the city.
It did, and the City Council wholeheartedly embraced the principles and concepts the plan outlined.
Officials received a highly comprehensive set of policies by Police Chief David Hober and several of his officers that was met with an enthusiastic thumbs-up by the entire council.
“I’m very impressed by the police department we have,” said City Councilman Tyller Williamson. “I’ve had interactions with Lt. (Jake) Pinkas and if Pinkas is a representation of our police department, it shows me the de
partment’s level of professionalism.”
The 12-page document titled “Commitment to Equity in Policing by the Use of Fair and Impartial Policing Policies, Programs, and Practices,” laid out
a blueprint of the training officers in Monterey go through as they interact with the community, particularly people of color.
Hober acknowledged that the issue of prevention of police using excessive force is a “pressing issue important to society,” and laid out key principles that officers in the field must adhere to with their interactions with the public. Specifically, the principles address officer situational awareness, sound training, ample supervision and strong leadership.
Lt. Mike Bruno explained to council members that the training officers receive in Monterey goes beyond the basic training provided through the state Peace Officer Standards and Training program. Most Monterey sworn officers receive additional training through a program called Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics.
The Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics course is a use- of-force training that is designed to fill “a critical gap in training police officers with how to respond to volatile situations in which members of