DRAFT REPORT OF THE CITY OF SPOKANE USE ... - Samuel Walker

Mr. Earl F. Martin
RE: REPORT TO USE OF FORCE COMMISSION
December 3, 2012
Page 10
during my second trip to Spokane by the SPD instructors for the various subject matter areas and the
overall RBT program . A review of the annual in-service training that took place in 2011 was
provided which consisted of a full day of training for all officers. This program is state-of-the-art
in-service training that involves skill building exercises and five stations of scenarios with skill
testing supervised by the department's subject matter expert instructors. During the meeting with
the various instructors, recommendations were made with regard to a number of areas that were
designed to enhance the quality of the training provided.
The RBT instructors that I met with included Sgt. Matthew Cowles and Officer Christopher
Crane. They went over the Student Safety Briefing and the safety measures that are utilized in the
RBT program to make sure that no live weapons are mistakenly discharged during the scenario based
training portion of the in-service program. We discussed the need to potentially inquire as to
physical limitations that participating officers may have and to advise each individual that they
should not exceed their own physical limitations. This is of concern for a variety of reasons
including the need to reduce the risk of work-related injuries during the course of training.
With regard to enhancing and improving the decision-making and use of force option
selection abilities of officers, a recommendation was made with regard to emphasizing appropriate
escalation and de-escalation responses in RBT simulations. This is simply the best vehicle for
addressing this area of concern. To that end, additional staff should be involved in the RBT
scenarios using a subject matter expert ("SME") team concept including
DT/Firearms/ECD/OC/Patrol Tactics instructors. Officers should be scheduled to rotate thru
scenarios, with all scenarios potentially running the gamut from no use of force to deadly force based
on instructor discretion and the involved officer actions. The score sheet for each scenario should
use the "Graham" factors and officer/subject factors for evaluative purposes and optimally should
include a documentation and verbal explanation component. Exercises should include: multiple
officer scenarios; team tactic issues; protocols for waiting for additional back-up and medical
services to arrive when appropriate; and dispatch interaction. RBT scenarios should utilize safety
equipment that allows for full-range of force options and weapons (verbal thru deadly force), and
the scenarios should be videotaped to allow for the most beneficial and full-range use of the
experience.
Critically, first line supervisors should be drawn into the RBT scenarios and required to
handle the scenarios from a supervisory perspective as opposed to a first responder. Supervisors
should be evaluated on their involvement and a set of criteria and evaluation developed specifically
for supervisors. Again, as stated above, criteria for evaluation of the handling of the use of force
scenarios should be modified to incorporate the "Graham" factors, officer/subject factors and the
department's use of force policies. Supervisors should be evaluated beyond the patrol officer level
responsibilities using criteria for the various simulations as appropriate for their responsibilities