What community members should know about DHSPD’s use of force policy following arrest video

News Channel 3's in-depth coverage continues into the Desert Hot Spring's Police department's use of force policy.

Our investigation into the matter was sparked after a video circulated online of an arrest that stirred controversy in the community.

We first reported on the arrest last week and shared reaction from the woman who captured the interaction between officers and the suspect arrested.

Today, we sat down with Deputy Chief of Police Steven Shaw, who discussed the department's use of force standards and the training officers are required to complete.

"We have a lot of checks and balances in place for use of force. Obviously use of force is one of those things that is extremely important to us to get it right every single time," according to Shaw. He added, "for 2023, we had 28 use of force incidents in the city and that was out of just over 4,400 arrests and citations."

Anytime the Desert Hot Springs Police department has a use of force incident, it is documented and reviewed by a supervisor and then get sent up the chain of command for analysis. Shaw said those tasked with the review are looking to assess whether policy and the law were both followed, and whether there is any training aspect that may need to be revisited to determine whether the department could've "done anything differently and better to prevent it from happening again," according to Shaw.

The initial review process can take anywhere from a week to a month. If an internal affairs investigation is initiated because a potential policy violation is found, it can take up to a year to complete.

Every 18 months, all police officers are required by the state of California's Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training to complete training that includes use of force. That could include anything from an officer's use of a taser to the physical control of an individual.

Watch News Channel 3 at 6:00 p.m. tonight for the full report.

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