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Aldermen Call for Mandated Police Video Release, Non-Lethal Weapons

By Ted Cox | January 14, 2016 12:08pm | Updated on January 14, 2016 3:13pm
 Ald. Jason Ervin led calls for police reforms in new City Council proposals introduced this week.
Ald. Jason Ervin led calls for police reforms in new City Council proposals introduced this week.
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

CITY HALL — Aldermen weighed in on the embattled Police Department this week with a handful of new proposals on police policy, including a call for available videos to be released within two weeks of any given incident.

Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) led the way with three new reform proposals submitted at Wednesday's City Council meeting, including the call for police dashcam and bodycam videos to be released upon request within two weeks, "except as otherwise prohibited by applicable law."

Ervin also submitted proposals calling for all police officers to be trained and equipped with Tasers, and for the city to settle the wrongful-death suit filed by relatives of Bettie Jones "as soon as possible."

 Ald. Ricardo Munoz is moving to protect all Police Department documents pending a U.S. Department of Justice probe.
Ald. Ricardo Munoz is moving to protect all Police Department documents pending a U.S. Department of Justice probe.
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

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Ervin's resolution on Jones gave new details about her death on the morning after Christmas, charging that she was killed in "a barrage of bullets through the door" as she tried to let officers into the building occupied by Antonio LeGrier and his son, Quintonio LeGrier, who was also shot and killed in the incident.

The resolution quotes the initial Police Department report stating that Jones was "accidentally struck and tragically killed" by police fire.

Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) also submitted a resolution calling for the Police Department to explore "non-lethal" weapons beyond just Tasers, including rubber balls and pellets. The resolution suggests they "should be considered as viable options to the use of deadly force." It was immediately signed by 36 of the City Council's 50 aldermen.

Finally, Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) submitted an order calling for the Police Department to protect any and all documents and destroy nothing at very least until the federal Department of Justice investigation into the department is completed. The order was immediately signed by 34 aldermen.

Most of the measures were sent to the Committee on Public Safety, where Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30th) is chairman. Ervin's call to settle the Jones lawsuit went to the Finance Committee, where he is vice chairman. The video ordinance, however, went to the Rules Committee, which has been called "where good legislation goes to die."

It was Ald. Edward Burke (14th) who called for it to go to the Rules Committee at Wednesday's council meeting, and whenever there's a conflict about where a piece of legislation should be assigned it automatically goes to Rules. Burke also blocked an attempt at council reform, putting all city investigations under a single inspector general, through use of another parliamentary maneuver Wednesday.

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