by Moses Leos III
New chapters in the Buda Police Department Operations Manual will give specific direction for handling officer involved shootings (OIS), active shooter situations and firearms policies.
During the May 21 Buda City Council meeting, the council unanimously passed the measure, which adds three new chapters to the manual. The new policies will go into effect this week, according to Buda Police Chief Bo Kidd.
“We’re making the copies and having a meeting with employees about all three new additions to policy manual tomorrow,” Kidd said in a phone interview.
The addition garnering the most attention is the policy regarding how to manage officer-involved shootings, which Buda has not experienced.
“This is a good, solid policy,” said Mayor Todd Ruge. “We want to be proactive, not reactive. [The council] feels better with this in place.”
Buda Police Chief Bo Kidd said one of the main reasons for implementing the new OIS policy is to help officers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and the overall process.
“It’s less fear of the unknown,” Kidd said. “You hope this is never put into use. Our purpose is to give clear direction to our employees. If an officer is not aware of what to do in an (OIS), it can be very stressful. If the process is not understood, the officer can quickly feel like a criminal.”
It should be clear, Kidd said, that an OIS triggers a criminal investigation.
“Any time you use force, and especially deadly force, there will be a criminal investigation,” he said.
Kidd crafted his department’s policy based in large part on a template from the Texas Police Chiefs Association. It outlines the basic steps and process to follow after an OIS.
From the onset of an OIS, fire and emergency services must be notified, along with the proper chain of command. Supervisors then take command, secure the scene and ensure medical attention is given to those who need it. He or she then turns off all recording devices, including dash-cam videos, and secures the recordings as evidence.
The supervisor on scene begins gathering information for the preliminary investigation. He or she will ask questions about the type of force used, total shots fired and the location of evidence on the scene, among other issues.
Supervisors then collect weapons and magazines from the officers involved for evidence. The supervisor must also provide a same-gender liaison to the officer(s) involved in the shooting.
Under the new policy, officers involved in OIS will also be immediately placed on administrative leave and receive counseling about the incident.
Kidd said the department administration would then initiate an internal investigation. In addition, any time there is an OIS, there is also a criminal investigation by an outside agency.
The department has the option to contact either the Texas Rangers, Hays County Sheriff’s Office or the District Attorney’s office, Kidd said. The goal is to give the public peace of mind that the department handles the matter impartially.
“If our officers are involved in a shooting, we want an outside agency handling the investigation,” Kidd said.
Based on the new policy, the department has the option to conduct their internal review during or following the criminal investigation.
“Typically, those types of investigations would run parallel to each other,” he said.
Additionally, administration will interview on-scene officers and supervisors about the incident. They will also manage all media inquiries, ensure an investigation is performed by an outside agency and ensure the involved officer does not provide a public statement for a 24 to 72 hour period.
Kidd said that is standard operating procedure in these types of incidents.
“We do that for two reasons,” he said. “The two entities conducting their investigations need to coordinate a response, and it helps reduce strain on all the families involved.”
The implementation of the new policies has been a long time coming for the Buda Police Department. More so for Kidd, who oversaw the creation of the original manual when the department first took shape in 2010.
“When we first put the manual together, it was the bare-bones of what we needed,” Kidd said. “I told the council, ‘there will be more work to be done.’ There were things we needed to consider to add on.”
According to the new policy, Buda officers must take the following steps after an Officer Involved Shooting:
• Secure the scene, including handcuffing the person(s) responsible for the OIS.
• Notify the chain of command.
• Provide medical attention to all injured persons until EMS arrives.
• Request a supervisor to respond to the scene.
• If suspects are located, they should be separated and secured.
• The involved officer must be removed from the scene, but not to a separate location.
• Evidence should be marked in accordance with procedures, protecting it from loss, destruction or damage.
• No weapon involved in the shooting should be removed or altered by either involved officer(s) or suspects, unless safety issues dictate such necessity.
• All witnesses are checked.
• No officer shall relay information to the media.
