"The question we're asking is not, Will police have less time to do whatever other important work they do?' But whether on a handful of occasions a year, officers are willing to write two paragraphs about the use of a chemical weapon, said Nathan Mizell, a former Police Accountability Board member."
"The two processes run side by side and track nearly identical information, which creates extra work without adding anything meaningful to the record, Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, who authored the rescission, wrote in her summary."
The Berkeley City Council voted to rescind a 1997 directive requiring police to file separate reports on pepper spray use to the council, arguing the requirement duplicated existing use-of-force documentation procedures. Officers already report all uses of force, including pepper spray, through standard channels and the data is published on the Police Transparency Hub. The council determined the additional reporting created redundant paperwork without adding meaningful oversight value. Despite pepper spray being used only a handful of times annually, critics argued the minimal burden justified maintaining the extra scrutiny layer. The repeal occurs amid broader changes expanding police access to surveillance technology and weapons.
#police-accountability #pepper-spray-reporting #berkeley-city-council #use-of-force-documentation #police-oversight
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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