A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015
FROM PAGE A1
FORCE:
continued from page A1
— but each incident is re-
viewed.
“Every use of force is
reviewed administratively
— that’s inside the depart-
ment — and they can also
be reviewed criminally if it
appears somebody has done
something extremely inap-
propriate,” Edmiston said.
“... If I felt there was a po-
tential for criminal (consid-
eration), I would automati-
cally call the Oregon State
Police (to investigate).”
Edmiston said HPD is
researching the possibility
using less lethal bean bag
proMectile shotguns. Of¿-
cers have also been volun-
tarily using body cameras,
he said, and HPD will be
reTuiring of¿cers to use
cameras beginning next
month.
“I actually caught a lit-
tle bit of ÀacN on this from
other departments that ar-
en’t transitioning to (cam-
eras),” he said. “I thinN it’s
important. I thinN it’s the
wave of the future. I thinN
it’s important, not only to
hold ourselves account-
able, but to hold the citi-
zens that we interact with
accountable.”
Edmiston said, while
helpful, the cameras do
not always capture “all the
facts all the time,” so of¿-
cers must use force “rea-
sonably,” in accordance
with established policies.
The HPD Policy Man-
ual states, “Of¿cers shall
use only that amount of
force that reasonably ap-
pears necessary given the
facts and circumstances
perceived by the of¿cer at
the time of the event to ac-
complish a legitimate law
enforcement purpose.”
Although “reasonable”
can be dif¿cult to de¿ne,
Edmiston said almost all
HPD employees have at-
tended critical incident
stress management train-
ing in the last two years.
He also said that ensur-
ing of¿cers are mentally
healthy and prepared for
the rigor of the job is im-
portant, and the chaplain
program started in October
COOLING:
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other options.
Jeffery-Hoague said the
board has yet to formal-
ize a schedule on when
the cooling station will be
open. When it does start to
get hot, organizers plan for
the building to be open pos-
sibly from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
every Saturday and Sunday
and on weeNdays when
temperatures are expected
to reach at least 95 degrees.
“What we want to do is
Neep people from suffering
due to the elements,” she
said. “We want people to be
safe, regardless of the con-
ditions, whether it is too hot
or too cold.”
During the warming
station board meeting this
weeN, Jeffery-Hoague talN-
ed with board members
and volunteers about the
features the building could
have during the new sum-
mer daytime hours. She
said she had been thinNing
about offering things liNe
card games and other sim-
ple activities, possibly a
movie and then a computer
station available for people
who need to do paperworN.
She said they could also
have a couple of mats for
people to checN out if they
were interested in taNing a
nap.
Others discussed the
possibility
of
serving
warm-weather foods to
help their guests beat the
heat.
“We could have a set up
right outside the building
where we could cut up a
watermelon,” Hermiston
volunteer Kathy Davis said
at the meeting. “Outside
would be the perfect place
for that.”
Jeffery-Hoague said she
liNed the idea, but she had
to checN with the city to
maNe sure something liNe
that would be OK. She said
she also has to checN with
has helped signi¿-
cantly.
“Over the last three and
a half years, we’ve really
been focusing inside the
department on ¿xing the
relationships, and I’m a
¿rm believer that if you
have healthy employees,
that’s going to equate to
healthy decisions being
made out on the street,” he
said.
Edmiston said HPD em-
ployees are also involved
with various organizations
to establish relationships
within the community, and
the department began of-
fering a 2 percent pay in-
centive to bilingual of¿cers
last year to better represent
the Hispanic population.
He said about 37 percent
of the city has Hispanic
ties, and six of HPD’s 26
of¿cers are bilingual, as
are three other employees,
including Chaplain Hector
Ramirez, who is a member
of the Hispanic Advisory
Committee.
Edmiston said HPD
could only be successful
with the trust of the people
it serves, and of¿cers must
maintain that trust despite
their vast “discretionary
authority.”
“With that discretion
comes scrutiny, and we
understand that,” he said.
“We’re not always going
to get it right, and when we
don’t get it right, we’re go-
ing to rely on committees
such as this and the com-
munity to assist us.”
After the meeting, HAC
Chairman Eddie De La
Cruz said the presentation
made him feel more com-
fortable that of¿cers would
maNe sound decisions.
“I thinN we have a big
chance at preventing all
these crazy things that’s
been happening around
the nation with the po-
lice maNing the wrong
decisions,” he said. “Our
police department is way
ahead. (Edmiston has)
done a great job as chief
since he tooN over, and
he’s doing his homeworN.
I was very impressed and
very happy with the infor-
mation he provided us. It
gave me a sense that we’re
OK here.”
the city to see what require-
ments would have to be met
to simply operate a daytime
facility.
Jeffery-Hoague said she
has had offers of donations
for computers and has a
computer of her own that
she doesn’t use anymore
that she would liNe to dedi-
cate to the cause. The facil-
ity will also receive a dona-
tion of a washer and dryer,
which guests may use to
do their laundry when they
visit the facility.
Board members are
currently worNing on the
speci¿c requirements and
rules for the cooling sta-
tion, but Jeffery-Hoague
said they want to Neep it as
least invasive as possible.
She said many of the rules
at the warming station will
be the same for the cooling
station, but there might be
a simpler sign-in system
for guests since they may
only be there for a couple
of hours as opposed to the
whole day.
She said there would
still be a strict policy of no
weapons, alcohol or drugs,
and people could still be
asNed to leave if they re-
fused to follow the rules.
Volunteer coordinator
Barb Leque said warming
station organizers were
thrilled with the number
of volunteers they had this
year and hope to have just
as many come out for the
cooling station.
“We want to provide our
guests with at least a few
hours of relief,” she said.
“Hopefully it will be eas-
ier for people to volunteer
since we’ll be open on the
weeNends, and it is during
the summer time.”
For information about
volunteering for the cooling
station this summer, contact
Leque at 541-571-2075.
For other questions, people
can email Jeffery-Hoague
at warmingstation@gmail.
com or call her at 541-720-
4295.
SEAN HART PHOTO
Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston, right, responds to questions from Hermiston’s Hispanic Advisory Committee regarding
the department’s use-of-force policies at the meeting Monday.
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