COMMUNITY
A Message to the Pensacola Community from Mayor Grover Robinson
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ince the senseless murder of George Floyd, we have seen outrage throughout our nation and here in our city. We have heard demands for change and equality for all. To our communities of color in Pensacola and the hundreds of allies who have spent countless hours this week protesting and calling for justice and equality: I see you. I hear you. I value and respect you.
As your mayor, I am committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and safe community for all. ere is no place for racism or discrimination in the City of Pensacola. We are incredibly fortunate to have a police department that is committed to the same values. I have reviewed the Pensacola Police Department’s policies and procedures this week with Chief Tommi Lyter, and the following policies are in place:
M AY / J U N E 2 0 2 0 O U T F R O N T M A G A Z I N E
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e Pensacola Police Department’s policy states that any member who witnesses an excessive use of force incident has a duty to immediately intervene and protect the person who is the subject of the excessive use of force. e intervening member shall immediately report the incident to a supervisor.
Mayor Grover Robinson
force. Where there is reasonable doubt, the value of a human life outweighs the importance of immediate apprehension.
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It is the policy of the Pensacola Police Department that sworn members of the department shall not use more force than is reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful purpose. Unnecessary and/or excessive use of force is expressly prohibited.
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e Pensacola Police Department requires comprehensive reporting. All use of force incidents are tracked, along with every tra c stop and the race of the individual who was stopped. O cers with a high rate of tra c stops for one race are automatically agged and reviewed.
e Pensacola Police Department is a state accredited agency, maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and best practices. ey are committed to serving and protecting our community with courtesy, integrity and professionalism.
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PPD’s de-escalation policy states that once a sworn member achieves control or compliance, he or she must de-escalate the use of force.
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Per PPD policy, a verbal warning should be given where feasible to do so before using deadly
PPD policy states that shooting at or from a moving vehicle is generally a dangerous and ine ective practice which shall be refrained from in all instances except those which do not endanger innocent persons and are justi ed by unusual or mitigating circumstances.
In addition to our existing policies, we are taking the following actions: •
Additional use of force training is being conducted in the coming weeks for every sworn member of the Pensacola Police Department.
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