Daily Press Guidance

Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

1) Public Events
CPD press conference - OPEN, with availability

2) Today's sound bites

1. I will accept nothing less than complete and total reform of both the system
and policing culture here in the Cit;y of Chicago.
Even
when force may be legallyjustified, it doesn't mean it's necessary. Every
2.
effort must be made to reduce tension and slow things down to prevent shots
from ever being fired. That's what this change is about
3. By June 1, every officer who responds to calls for service will be equipped with a
Taser and trained to use it properly.
4. There is no question that fundamental changes need to be made. And let me be
clear - there should be no question that we will make them. This is a major
step, but it can't be the last step. Through policies, through training, and
ultimately through practice - we will change the culture in CPD and restore the
public's trust
3) In The News Today
On Topic
More protests planned
Politics/calls to resign
CIT
Cuba trip
Overall
Saturday morning shooting
Vance
Laquan McDonald
Superintendent search
Arne Duncan
Retention of police records
CACC video released
CTU negotiations
CPS savings

4) Most Recent Press Questions to MRE

1. Nothing recent
5) Talking Points

Daily Press Guidance

Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Wednesday, December 30, 2015

ON TOPIC
,.

Why does CPD need a new policy on use of force?

While recent events have brought this issue to the forefront for us all, for far
too long Chicago - like cities around the country - has faced far too many
incidents where officers shot and killed people who were not armed with
guns.
Even When force may be legally justified, it doesn't mean it's necessary.
Every effort must be made to reduce tension and slow things down to
prevent shots from ever being fired.
That's what this change is about.

Are you admitting that CPD is at fault in the recent incidents?

Those incidents are still under investigation and I'm not going to prejudge
IRPA's work.
The point is that we need a shift in thinking because even when force may be
legally justified, it doesn't mean it's necessary.
Why did it take so long to put this new policy in place?
This issue has challenged our city for generations, and we are asking
different and more difficult questions today than ever before.
The work on this new policy began weeks ago, but I think it's painfully clear
to everyone that it's even more urgent today.

Are officers being told to stand down? Not do their jobs? Run from trouble?
Absolutely not
o TURN TO JOHN: De-escalation is consistent with effective crime
fighting and building the necessary trust to police our
communities. CPD is introducing new tactics and training to avoid the
unnecessary use of force. Policing is dangerous work and there will
continue to be situations where force is necessary.

What is the purpose of this new policy, beyond meeting a short term need of to
quell the rising anger over continued police shootings?
The goal is to prevent anyone from shooting a gun.
What is a significant overhaul of CPD policy can be boiled down into one
fundamental concept: every time an officer responds to an incident, the goal
must be to protect the life and the safety of everyone involved.
While that seems like a simple concept, it strikes the core of our values as a
police organization.

Daily Press Guidance

Mayor Rahm Emanuel
\Vednesday,December30,2015

You've talked about the policy and the training, but don't you have a problem
with policing culture in general?
There is no question that fundamental changes need to be made. And let me
be clear - there should be no question that we will make them.
This is a major step, but it can't be the last step.
Through policies, through training, and ultimately through practice - we will
change the culture in CPD and restore the public's trust.
o TURNTOJOHN:
My goal is for CPD members to act as problem solvers to de
escalate situations when appropriate. Often officers, including
our best officers, think they need to confront a situation, take
charge, and resolve it as quickly as possible. The concepts
we're talking about today, including slowing down and asking
for assistance are necessary tactics if your goal as a police
officer is to preserve the sanctity of life and the safety of
everyone at the scene.
How can a written policy change such an entrenched issue?
This is more than a written policy- it's a change in thinking.
But a policy is only as good as the paper it's written on - and we will put
training and accountability measures behind this new policy.
o TURNTOJOHN: As the Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police
Department, I am responsible to our communities, and to the officers
who risk their lives and act bravely, day in and day out.These officers
need our guidance.They need state-of-the-art policy and training to
avoid unnecessary uses of force, particularly deadly force.

If Tasers are so easy to buy, why wasn't that done before? Surely this can't
have been the first time someone thought expanding Taser training would be
a good idea.
Well, we actually already increased the number ofTasers already since I took
office - but clearly more needs to be done.
So we are going further.
By June 1, every officer who responds to calls for service will be equipped
with aTaser and trained to use it properly.

How are you going to pay for Tasers?

This will come out of CPD's existing budget.

Daily Press Guidance

Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Wednesday, December 30, 2015

What does the policy tell officers to do?

I'll let John get into the details, but a conversation I had with an officer in the
15th district a few weeks ago really left an impression on me.
We were talking about the experiences he and his colleagues go through, and
he told me - just because I'm allowed to fire my gun, doesn't mean it's always
necessary.
Our officers face dangerous and difficult circumstances every day, but this
policy is about ensuring every officer has that foresight.
TURN TO JOHN:
o Our new policy will make it clear that we expect officers to make
every attempt to resolve confrontations without resorting to deadly
force. The question officers pose to themselves should not be "shoot
or don't shoot"
o Instead, under this new policy, officers will ask themselves a series of
key questions as an event unfolds, such as
What exactly is happe.ning?
How serious is the risk or threat?
What is the full range of options for how to respond?
Do I need to take action immediately or can I slow the situation
down and buy more time?
Can I create more distance to make the situation safer?
Can I de-escalate the tension by talking to the offender?
If the conflict is minor and does require police intervention,
should I just leave the scene?
Am I the best person to deal with this or should I request
assistance from Specialized Units such as a Crisis Intervention
Team?

A written policy can sit on a shelf. How do you plan to train officers to use
these tactics and then hold them accountable?
As any officer could tell you, a written policy is not enough. We have to train
on that policy and give the support officers need to make these tactics second
nature.
o TURN TO JOHN:
Starting next week, we will immediately begin training with a
presentation to our command staff, a streaming video for all
officers, and roll call training. In the near future we will add
more intensive, in-service and scenario-based training.
Our goal is to provide continuance training improving de
escalation tactics and Crisis Intervention strategies for dealing
with mentally ill persons, homeless persons, and other
challenging situations.
4

Daily Press Guidance

Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Have other cities adopted similar policies?

TURN TO JOHN:
o Yes, there is a sea change in policing over the past two years and a
widespread recognition that we need to better prepare our officers
for conflicts with people who are not armed with guns. Police
Departments in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, San
Diego, and Oakland have all adopted de-escalation policies similar to
the one we are announcing today.