LA County Board

15. Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight of Los Angeles Sheriff’s\nDepartment’s Taser Policy and Use\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisor Solis: Support the Sheriff Civilian\nOversight Commission’s (COC’s) recommendations in its September 21, 2023\nreport entitled, “Report and Recommendations on Los Angeles County Sheriff’s\nDepartment Use of Tasers;” request the Sheriff, in collaboration with the\nInspector General and the Interim Executive Director of the Sheriff Civilian\nOversight Commission, to report back to the Board in writing in 120 days with\nan update on changes to its policies based on the COC’s recommendations and\nthe below, and provide the COC with a presentation at one of their meetings on\nthe following:\nRevising the Sheriff’s Department’s policies to incorporate best practices\nfrom other law enforcement agencies, to ensure compliance with State\nand Federal legal standards, and consider recommendations by law\nenforcement and advocacy groups on Taser usage including, at a\nminimum, the following:\nDefinitions and clear examples of the differences among an\nindividual “actively resisting,” a “threat,” and compliance;\nClear guidance for when a Taser can be used, e.g.: only in\nsituations in which the use of such potentially lethal force is\njustified;\nMandatory reassessment periods in between each deployment of\nthe Taser to determine if an additional deployment is necessary,\nand lawful, based on the current threat level presented;\nApproval by a supervisor, when available, for multiple Taser\ndeployments;\nA policy limiting the frequency on how often a Taser can be\ndeployed on an individual, including strict limitations/prohibition on\nrepeated Taser application;\nJustification and documentation of Taser use, including\n“sparking;”\nLimitations on number of times a deputy can “drive stun” or “dry\nTaser” an individual; duration of a Taser discharge on an\nindividual; number of times a Taser can be discharged; strict\ncriteria for when the Taser can be used in all forms; limitations on\nthe use of Tasers on at-risk individuals, such as: individuals who\nare, or present, in an altered state, and individuals with known or\nidentifiable physical, mental health, learning, and other disabilities;\nand specific disciplinary policies and guidelines for violations of\nthe Taser policy or if there is misconduct associated with the use\nof a Taser;\nRecommendations on the current Taser technology to ensure it properly\ndocuments and tracks Taser use, including the institution of early\nwarning systems for deputies who misuse or have a history of repeated\nuse of the Taser on an individual; and\nRecommendations for updated trainings and a plan to ensure the\nSheriff’s Department’s staff are trained on new policies within 180 days\nafter their adoption;\nDirect the Inspector General to include in its quarterly reports back to the\nBoard, the following, starting with the next quarterly report:\nUpdate on the status of the Sheriff’s Department’s adoption of an\nupdated Taser policy, the status of training personnel on the updated\nTaser policy, and deputy compliance with updated policies, once\nadopted, consistent with the Sheriff’s Department trainings until full\ncompliance; and\nDocumentation and tracking on the Sheriff’s Department’s Taser use,\nincluding those that result in serious injury or death, in patrol and\ncustody;\nDirect the Chief Executive Officer to provide support and resources to the\nSheriff and the Inspector General in implementing the necessary changes to\nthe Taser policy and oversight of its use; and\nDirect the Chief Executive Officer, through the Legislative Affairs and\nIntergovernmental Relations Branch, to support legislation relevant to law\nenforcement’s use of Tasers that are aligned with the intent of this motion.\n(23-3598)\nAttachments: Motion by Supervisor Solis\nPublic Comment/Correspondence