Chief’s Desk
Training, Policy, Procedures, and Body Worn Cameras at the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department
Since the tragic and unnecessary death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis, the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department has received many questions from the public regarding our policies, procedures, and training. The information below is meant to address the most common of these questions.
De-escalation/Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
The Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Board mandates a certain amount and certain types of training for licensed police officers. The most recent additions to these training requirements include: Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), Conflict Mediation Training, and Implicit Bias Training to include cultural diversity.
Here at SLMPD, our commitment to CIT/de-escalation training preceded the P.O.S.T. mandates by a couple of years. Our commitment to this type of training includes sending every officer who routinely engages to 911 response to a 40-hour CIT course–this includes supervisors and investigators. The 40-hour CIT course is considered the gold standard for CIT/de-escalation training for law enforcement and includes live training scenarios where officers must demonstrate their learned abilities using specially trained role players. In addition to the 40-hour initial training course, our officers are sent to an 8-hour refresher during every licensing cycle and they may also receive additional CIT/de-escalation training along the way.
We also meet, and in most cases, exceed the training requirements for Conflict mediation and Implicit Bias. This training may not specifically include de-escalation techniques, but they certainly provide officers with additional tools that help them to be better communicators.
Duty to Intervene and Report
The Code of Conduct for the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department (SLMPD Policy 1005—Professional Conduct of Peace Officers) has been in place since 2012 and requires officers that learn of or observe any conduct that is a violation of any law or policy of the SLMPD to take necessary action and report the incident to their supervisor.
Choke Holds
The South Lake Minnetonka Police Department does not train in the use of “choke holds.” The use of any such technique by a South Lake Minnetonka Police Officer would have to be as a last resort and meet the requirements for the use of deadly force under Minnesota state statute.
Transparency
In 2017, began deploying body-worn cameras (BWC) and upgraded our existing squad cameras. Each officer is issued a BWC and is required to wear it while on duty. When the officer returns their BWC to the docking station, all the video is uploaded to secure cloud storage. No one can alter the original video and audio files collected by the officer.
Officer Wellness
It has long been our belief that resilient, well-adjusted officers are better able to deal with the unique job stressors faced by law enforcement officers and less likely to be drawn into improper behavior. To that end, the SLMPD has required annual mental health check-ups for our officers going on four years. Officers who need additional time with our department psychologist are offered five additional visits at no charge, with additional visits at the discretion of the department. In addition, the department has offered training in physical fitness, nutrition, and sleep science.
The South Lake Minnetonka Police Department has historically followed a community-based policing approach and that continues today!
From our oversight board all the way down through every officer at the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department, we are committed to guarding the constitutional rights of all those we serve, protecting the sanctity of life, preserving the safety of our residents, and supporting the quality of life for everyone in the community.
If you have any questions regarding the training, policies, or procedures at the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department, please call or email.