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Police FAQs

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1. How does the Redmond Police Department work with subjects dealing with a mental health, homelessness or other crisis, so they stay out of the criminal justice system?

The Redmond Police Department has taken multiple significant steps to work with members of our community in crisis in hopes of keeping them out of the criminal justice system. These include:

• Employing a full-time Mental Health Professional who deploys alongside patrol officers to resolve crisis calls for service.
  Learn more (This is a KUOW interview with Redmond Police MHP. It is the fourth interview at the bottom of the page)
• Helping establish the first King County Community Court to help find long term solutions for people accused of minor crimes.
  Learn more from the Redmond Reporter   
  Learn more from KingCounty.gov 
• Working closely with the City of Redmond Homeless Outreach Program to find resources and solutions for our community members without homes.
  Learn more 

2. Do the Redmond Police wear body cameras?

No. The Redmond Police Department does not have dash or body cameras in operation at this time. Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe is exploring equipping Redmond officers with both body-worn and in-car cameras and will present a proposal to City Council in June of 2021. The cost for equipment and staffing is anticipated to be approximately $815,000 to initiate the program and about $635,000 annually to maintain. According to the current estimate for this program, about half of the annual cost will be for the equipment and half for the full time employees that will need to be hired for technology services, records management, public disclosure needs, court case preparation, etc. RPD will be sharing more details with our community as this process moves forward. (May 2021)

3. Does the Redmond Police Department have clear standards for when force can be used?

The Redmond Police Department’s Manual of Standards is an annually evaluated document that clearly defines when and how Redmond Police Officers can use force and how it will be documented afterward. These standards are compliant with Federal and State laws as well. The use of force philosophy of the Redmond Police Department is as follows: 

Philosophy: The Redmond Police Department strives to deliver police services as efficiently and unobtrusively as possible with minimal reliance upon the use of physical force or response to resistance. It is recognized that officers are expected to make split-second decisions and that the amount of time available to evaluate and respond to changing circumstances may impact an officer’s decision. While various degrees of force exist, each officer is expected to use only that degree of force reasonable under the circumstances perceived by the officer at the time of the event to successfully accomplish the legitimate law enforcement purpose and bring the incident under control.

 Redmond Police Department Use of Force Policy

4. Does the Redmond Police Department allow chokeholds?

Chokeholds and strangleholds are considered deadly force at the Redmond Police Department and can only be used when deadly force can be lawfully justified. 

The Redmond Police Department does allow the use of the Vascular Neck Restraint (VNR) as an escalated level of force. Officers using the VNR must be trained annually, render immediate medical aid, and articulate why they would use this escalated level of force. The last use of the VNR by a Redmond Police Officer was in 2016. 

5. When can Redmond Police Officers use deadly force?

Redmond Police may use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes that the action is in defense of human life, including the officer’s own life, or in defense of any person in imminent danger of serious physical harm. An officer may use deadly force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to affect the arrest or prevent the escape of a criminal suspect when the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed or intends to commit a felony involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm or death. When feasible, a verbal warning should precede the use of lethal (deadly) force. 

6. What is the Community Equity Action Team?

This council advises the Chief of Police on issues related to equity, transparency and community relations. For more information on the process through which it was created, and how to join, visit www.redmond.gov/CEAT.

7. How do Community Members get involved with the Redmond Police Department?

Community members are welcomed to join RPD in many arenas. You can volunteer, join our Community Equity Action Team, or work for us as an officer, dispatcher or support staff. We are also actively seeking employees who represent our diverse population and have a desire to make a difference in our community.

Learn more at www.redmond.gov/684/Join-Our-Police-Team

8. Does the Redmond Police Department require officers to exhaust all alternatives before using deadly force?

Yes. Redmond Police Officers must use deadly force only when necessary and when they believe less lethal options have been exhausted or will not work. For instance, if someone is actively killing someone, we do not have to move through all of the less lethal options first before stopping the murder.

9. Does the Redmond Police Department ban shooting at moving vehicles?

Redmond Police firearms training strongly discourages shooting at moving vehicles because it increases the risk of causing more injury and harm to the community if the vehicle loses control and other safety concerns.  

10. Does the Redmond Police Department have a use of force continuum?

The specific term "use of force continuum" refers to an outdated use of force model. As a state accredited agency, our use of force policy is grounded in the fundamental concepts of de-escalation and reasonableness. If force is necessary, then the officer uses only that amount of force that is reasonable given the facts and circumstances at the time of the event – and only for a legitimate law enforcement purpose. This is in line with current best practices in the policing profession.

11. Do Redmond Police Officers receive any training on implicit bias, racism or prejudice?

Yes. Redmond Police Officers also receive training on the above topics in the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy and in annual refresher trainings and other professional development courses. Every City of Redmond employee, including police employees, receive ongoing training on implicit bias, racism and prejudice. Most recently, in 2019, every employee completed a course titled “Deconstructing our Bias” taught by Chanin Kelly-Rae, a former Statewide Diversity Manager for the State of Washington. This course focused on ensuring our work for the community is always mindful of diversity, equity and inclusion for all. The City of Redmond is committed to establishing equity and inclusion training on topics including implicit bias to all new employees and maintaining that training throughout an employee’s career. For more information on ’Welcoming Redmond’, the citywide cultural inclusion initiative that the Police Department actively participates in, visit www.redmond.gov/675/Welcoming-Redmond. 

12. Does the Redmond Police Department investigate themselves if deadly force is used?

Washington State Police Agencies follow the rules laid out in the 2017 Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETSCA), formerly known as I-940 and SHB 1064. This includes requiring independent investigations for uses of deadly force. 

Learn more at LETSCA Overview

13. What is the expectation of a Redmond Police Officer who observes excessive force?

Redmond Police Officers have a duty to intervene and stop excessive force. In addition, any Police Department employee who witnesses a Redmond Police Officer use force that appears to be in violation of this standard shall report such use of force to his/her immediate supervisor as soon as practical. 

14. How does the Redmond Police Department track use of force in their agency?

The Redmond Police Department uses a database to log all instances force is used by an officer. This database logs information about the incident. This information includes the level of force used, why the force was used, and demographic information on the persons involved. This database also serves as an early intervention system by notifying the department if an officer has an increased number of uses of force, collisions or complaints. 

In 2019, Redmond Police responded to 27,347 calls for service. During those calls for service, force was used 86 times by Redmond officers, or 0.31% of the time. Of those uses of force, only one concern of excessive force was brought forward, and this was done by an internal employee. This was fully investigated and found to be unfounded, with approval of the internal employee who raised the initial concern.

15. Do the Redmond Police provide immediate medical assistance after a use of force?

Yes. After using force, as soon as safely able, Redmond Police Officers are expected to provide medical assistance including using lifesaving measures such as CPR and calling for immediate medical assistance.  

16. Does the Redmond Police Department share employee information with other departments if an employee leaves after discipline?

The Redmond Police Department conducts thorough background investigations into employees and participates in other agencies background investigations when requested.  This holistic investigation includes verifying that our employees have no affiliations to discriminatory groups or activities, do not have a history of hate speech or abuse, and more.  In addition, police officers who leave the agency under sustained discipline are reported when appropriate to the Criminal Justice Training Commission for evaluation of their certification. If an officer is convicted of a crime, for example, this information is shared with the state so the commission can determine if they want to revoke their peace officer certification

Learn more at www.cjtc.wa.gov/certification/certification-hearings 

17. Does the Redmond Police have a policy about filming the police?

The Redmond Police Department recognizes the community’s right to videotape and film police officers working in public, and we will not take your phone from you simply for filming us. The Redmond Police Department will not seize phones unless lawfully allowed, including by consent of the owner of the phone or when legally pursuing a search warrant to search the phone before returning it to the owner. 

18. Does RPD have any surplus military equipment received under the federal 1033 program?

We currently have a V150 armored personnel carrier we received as part of the 1033 program. This vehicle is not in use, and we were actually in the process of returning it before COVID-19 stopped the return process. We will be returning this as soon as able.

19. What kind of de-escalation training do Redmond Police Officers receive?

Redmond Police Officers receive critical de-escalation training to help learn how to use time, distance and shielding in critical incidents in hopes to use less force in crisis situations. This training begins in the State Police Academy and continues throughout an officer’s career with our department. It is standard to incorporate de-escalation techniques into most trainings and is a concept woven into all training that is provided. 

All officers also receive Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) in the law enforcement academy. All Washington Officers are now required to complete a yearly two-hour refresher course provided by and tracked by the Washington Criminal Justice Training Center. CIT training builds upon the concept of de-escalation specifically with people suffering from a mental health and/or a substance abuse crisis.

Redmond Police utilize the full-time Mental Health Professional to co-respond to crisis patrol calls to assist in de-escalation. 

20. How do we learn about your police union contracts?

For information regarding our collective bargaining agreements, please see here: City of Redmond Labor Contracts. We believe in collective bargaining and lawful accountability through due process for all community members, including police employees. 

21. How do I file a complaint on a Redmond Police Employee?

If you would like to file a complaint on a Redmond Police Employee, you have multiple options. For detailed information see this document.

1. If you are in a situation and would like a supervisor to respond to the scene, you can make that request to an officer and a supervisor will be requested. 
2. If you would like to talk to a supervisor over the phone, you can call our 24/7 non-emergency line at 425-556-2500 and request to file a complaint. Our Dispatch Center will locate the on-duty supervisor and have them contact you.
3. You can also visit the Redmond Police Department lobby and request to speak with a supervisor in person. 

22. Does the Redmond PD follow the six pillars of the 21st Century Policing Task Force report released by the Obama administration in 2015?

As a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) accredited agency, the six pillars of the 21st Century Policing Task Force are incorporated into the accreditation process and can be found throughout Redmond Police policies and procedures. The six pillars are a priority for RPD and act as a benchmark for evaluation of all our performance and processes as we continuously grow and develop as an agency.