On Tuesday afternoon, Chattanooga Police Department Chief David Roddy addressed concerns raised by city council members about policies on the use of force.
Roddy said there's a continuum of force that officers can use, but they're trained to meet whatever resistance they encounter with a response considered to be one step more forceful in order to bring the situation to a safe conclusion. He also said that in nearly 250,000 calls for service last year, officers had to submit only 406 use-of-force reports.
If a suspect or anyone else encountered during an incident is refusing verbal commands, an officer might use "soft empty hands" to move the individual, or if that person is actively resisting arrest officers might step up their response and use a baton or a stun gun.
"We have to move up one level," Roddy said. "If you respond in like, then we come to an impasse. Nothing's moving toward a conclusion."
He also said every officer experiences being pepper sprayed and stunned as part of their training so they understand the effects of the tools at their disposal.
"We voluntarily get sprayed so we know what that feels like. We understand what we've just done to another member of our community," Roddy said. "I've taken it about eight times in my career. I know what it feels like. I don't relish or look forward to the application of something that feels like that."
City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod said she has been speaking with constituents and reviewing videos taken of interactions between local law enforcement and community members, but she asked if officers fully explain the reasons for their actions, especially when they need to issue citations in traffic stops.
"Are we explaining to the individuals in cars what that citation means or even reading it to the individual so they have a clear understanding of the purpose for them giving a citation?" she asked.
Roddy said officers do explain the situation fully and frequently point out phone numbers on the citations that community members can call to get further information. He said they use that moment to de-escalate the situation and lower anxiety.
City Councilman Darrin Ledford asked Roddy where the public could access information about the specific actions they should take in an interaction with officers.
"I'll be honest with you, I don't know and I know a lot of you," he said. "I don't know exactly what my role is."
Roddy responded with a list of programs the police department has rolled out in the last several years to build community relationships in non-confrontational settings, such as community front porch lineups or events such as "coffee with a cop."
He also said there are instructional videos tailored to answer those questions and his department would explore making some of those more widely available.
"There are videos out there on the internet, and I think we should be able to pull some of those down and make them available for our community," he said. "I think that's an excellent idea to make sure everyone understands."
At the end of the council meeting, Roddy provided an update on the shooting incident that left five people injured in a parking lot near Coyote Jack's nightclub on July 15. He said police met with representatives of the club and discussed steps they could take to better ensure the safety of people in the area.
He also said police set up a car with surveillance equipment in the parking lot and dedicated more patrol officers to the street at the times when violent incidents occur most frequently. Police leaders also will be meeting with Republic Parking, the owners of the lot, to discuss additional security measures.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow him on Twitter @emmettgienapp.