Reimagining Policing

1. Chief’s Message to the Community:

This was completed on May 30th, when Chief Rinetti publicly denounce George Floyd’s death with a message to bring the community together in a positive way to listen, learn, and create a better future.

View Message from the Chief

2. Town Hall Meeting:

This was completed on June 4th, and was designed to answer questions and address concerns from the community. The virtual town hall meeting also provided information about UCPD and our priorities as an organization directly from the Chief of Police, Jared Rinetti.

Virtual Town Hall and Moment of Silence for George Floyd

3. City Council Meeting:

On Tuesday, 6/9, the City of Union City had a City Council meeting to share an overview of the two weeks prior. This meeting included steps already taken and future steps we are planning to take (listed below) in the weeks ahead.

City Council Meeting 6/9/2020

4. Faith Based Meeting:

Thursday, 6/11, Chief of Police Jared Rinetti coordinated a video conference with all our Union City faith-based leaders. Typically, the chief of police and faith-based leaders meet a few times a year but based on the current climate UCPD requested a meeting sooner than previously planned. Please see video below view topics discussed during the meeting.

Faith Based Community Meeting June 11th, 2020

5. Message to the Community:

On June 10th, UCPD provided a message to the community about our plan and these “action items.” It is important that our community knows that we are actively listening to the national narrative and comparing some of the national recommendations to our current local policy and procedures. Please click the picture below to see Chief's message.

6. UCPD Policy / #8CantWait:

UCPD created a link that directs people to this webpage, outlining how we compare to the Commit to Action Mayor’s Pledge / #8cantwait campaign policies. The below information is a transparent look at how we measure up to the recommendations. This is a living page and it will continue to grow and develop as we post and add additional information to answer commonly asked questions.
How does Union City Police Department (UCPD) measure up to the 8cantwait.org website recommendations?

The "8cantwait" recommendations:

Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds - UCPD does not train or authorize the use of the carotid restraint or chokeholds. Our department has stopped allowing the use of chokeholds and neck control holds to prevent persons from swallowing controlled substances and evidence.Reference UCPD Policy 300.3.5
Require De-escalation - Current California law requires officers to use de-escalation techniques (Senate Bill 230). Additionally, the use of de-escalation techniques are at the core of our ongoing police training and de-escalation is outlined in our department use of force policy. Our department also sends all of our officers to attend Crisis Intervention Training and we use de-escalation techniques whenever possible to eliminate the need to use force. Reference UCPD Policy 300.3.1
Require Warning Before Shooting - Our department policy directs officers to, when feasible, identify themselves as a peace officer and warn prior to shooting. Reference UCPD Policy 300.4(b)
Exhaust All Alternatives Before Shooting - Our department policy requires officers to evaluate reasonable options, resources, and techniques, when determining the need to use their firearm. Officers are only authorized to shoot when there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury to the officer or another person. Reference UCPD Policy 300.4
Duty To Intervene To Stop Excessive Force - Our policy mandates a duty to intercede and to report excessive force to a supervisor if observed. Reference UCPD Policy 302.1
Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles - Our policy restricts shooting at moving vehicles to situations when no other reasonable means is available to avert the threat of the vehicle. UCPD also directs officers to move out of the path of approaching vehicles instead of discharging a firearm when possible. Reference UCPD Policy 300.4.1
Require Use of Force Continuum - UCPD requires our officers to only use that amount of force that reasonably appears necessary given the facts and totality of the circumstances. Reference UCPD Policy 300.3.3
Require Comprehensive Reporting - UCPD requires our officers to document all uses of force. Every use of force is reviewed by the employee(s) supervisor and manager to ensure the force used was within policy. Additionally, we report all incidents of force that result in serious bodily injury or death to the California Department of Justice. Reference UCPD Policy 300.5

7. City Council / HRC Subcommittee:

On June 25th, the recently created Policing and Community Engagement Committee met to allow members of our community share issues, concerns, and recommendations about policing and safety in Union City. UCPD will share an update soon.
**To see virtual Policing and Community Engagement Committee meetings, please check the videos at the bottom of the page.

8. "Commit to Action” Report:

The Policing and Community Engagement Committee (PCE) presented a report to the Union City City Council after the completion of their subcommittee meetings at the City Council meeting on September 22, 2020. The presentation provided a summary of the "Commit to Action" pledge that was signed by Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci. The report reviewed the following steps:

REVIEW your police use of force policies
ENGAGE your communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review
REPORT the findings of your review to your community and seek feedback
REFORM your community’s police use of force policy

To view the PCE Staff Report

Click on the video link below to view the presentation of the Police and Community Engagement Committee's findings and recommendations.
VIDEO