DOCSLIB.ORG

Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of David Josiah Lawson

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of David Josiah Lawson Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of David Josiah Lawson February 2020 Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of David Josiah Lawson National Police Foundation Assessment Team Walter Tibbet and Vaughan Edwards February 2020 The National Police Foundation (NPF), based in the Washington, DC area is the oldest nationally known, independent, non-profit, non-partisan, and non-membership driven organization, dedicated to advancing policing through innovation and science. One of the ways to accomplish this goal is by examining sentinel events around the country. The goal of this analysis is to examine this incident and offer recommendations for improved protocols, and the identification of new tactics and ideas which can help prepare law enforcement in their efforts to provide the most professional service possible for our communities. 1 Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of David Josiah Lawson Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 5 Introduction and Background ................................................................................................. 7 Scope and Goals of the Review ........................................................................................................... 7 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Limitations of this Report ................................................................................................................... 8 Arcata Background ............................................................................................................................. 8 The City of Arcata and Humboldt State University ................................................................................................... 8 The Arcata Police Department ............................................................................................................ 9 Department Organization ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Pre-Existing Regional and Organizational Relationships ..................................................................... 11 Emergency Communications in Arcata ................................................................................................................... 11 Incident Description ............................................................................................................. 13 The Incident ..................................................................................................................................... 15 The Initial Response ......................................................................................................................... 17 Responding Officers ......................................................................................................................... 18 Mutual Aid Arrives ........................................................................................................................... 20 Incident and Preliminary Investigation Analysis ................................................................... 23 Preparation, Training, and Equipment ............................................................................................... 24 Training and Preparation for the Response and Investigation of Major Incidents ................................................. 24 Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 26 Organizational Leadership, Supervision, and Command and Control .................................................. 30 Notifications and Response Protocols .................................................................................................................... 30 Incident Command and Leadership ........................................................................................................................ 31 Witness Interviews .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Suspect Interviews .................................................................................................................................................. 35 Homicide Investigation Process Best Practices ....................................................................................................... 36 Case Review and Quality Control ............................................................................................................................ 37 Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 37 Regional Coordination and Mutual Aid ............................................................................................. 40 Regional Communications ...................................................................................................................................... 41 Lack of Coordination with the District Attorney ..................................................................................................... 41 Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 42 Public Information and Support Services ........................................................................................... 45 Family Notification and Support ............................................................................................................................. 45 Public Information .................................................................................................................................................. 46 Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 47 Community-Police Relations and Trust in Arcata ............................................................................... 51 Arcata Demographics and Community Perceptions ............................................................................................... 51 University Community Police Relations .................................................................................................................. 52 Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of 2 David Josiah Lawson Perceived Bias ......................................................................................................................................................... 53 Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 54 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 57 A Path Forward ................................................................................................................................ 57 David “Josiah” Lawson ......................................................................................................... 59 Appendix A: Methodology ................................................................................................... 60 Open Source Media Review .............................................................................................................. 60 On-Site Data Collection..................................................................................................................... 60 Resource Review .............................................................................................................................. 61 Off-Site Data Collection and Research ............................................................................................... 62 Analysis and Application of Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................. 62 Appendix B: About the Assessment Team ............................................................................. 63 About the National Police Foundation .................................................................................. 65 3 Independent Review of the Police Response to the Homicide of David Josiah Lawson Acknowledgements The National Police Foundation (NPF) assessment team acknowledges the leadership of the City of Arcata and the Arcata Police Department (APD) for requesting, and engaging in, this analysis in an effort to identify opportunities to improve the APD’s capacity to serve their community, and in the process, to provide clarity—based on research—on the response to this incident. We also appreciate the assistance of first responders from the APD, Arcata Fire District, Humboldt State University Police Department, and dispatchers from the APD, California Highway Patrol, and Arcata Fire District for their professionalism and commitment to continual improvement of the public safety profession. Finally, the NPF acknowledges the impact that the homicide of Josiah Lawson has had on his family; friends;
Load more

Recommended publications
  • POLICE FOUNDATION REPORTS October 1992
    POLICE FOUNDATION REPORTS October 1992 Spouse Abuse Research Raises New Questions About Police Response to Domestic Violence Introduction by Hubert Williams President, Police Foundation Of all calls for service to police departments, those for reported spouse everal replications of a study abuse traditionally rank among the most numerous. The magnitude of finding that arrest of spouse the domestic violence problem is wide and deep. Indeed, for all the cases Sassault suspects helped that are reported, it is probable that many more go unreported. prevent repeat assaults have shown mixed results. A number of the For many years, police officers who responded to these calls often felt a replications found no deterrent sense of frustration knowing when they left the scene that they might effect of arrest, while a Police soon have to return to confront again the pain and humiliation of the Foundation replication seems to domestic violence situation. There were no clear answers to handling reinforce the original findings. these cases, no way to assure that the violence would cease. Close examination of the foundation’s research, however, may In recognition of this, the National Institute of Justice funded a Police point to different policy conclusions Foundation study several years ago to see if police treatment of offenders than those suggested by the earlier had an impact on recidivism. The study, conducted in Minneapolis, was study. the first in the history of policing that permitted experimentation with officers’ responses to a situation involving a specific offense. Police That 1984 study, conducted by the Foundation researchers found that arrest of the suspect was more Police Foundation in Minneapolis, effective in deterring future violence than were counseling or sending the found that arrest was a more suspect away from home for several hours.
    [Show full text]
  • Policing Terrorism
    Policing Terrorism A Review of the Evidence Darren Thiel Policing Terrorism A Review of the Evidence Darren Thiel Policing Terrorism A Review of the Evidence Darren Thiel © 2009: The Police Foundation All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of The Police Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Police Foundation. Enquires concerning reproduction should be sent to The Police Foundation at the address below. ISBN: 0 947692 49 5 The Police Foundation First Floor Park Place 12 Lawn Lane London SW8 1UD Tel: 020 7582 3744 www.police-foundation.org.uk Acknowledgements This Review is indebted to the Barrow Cadbury Trust which provided the grant enabling the work to be conducted. The author also wishes to thank the academics, researchers, critics, police officers, security service officials, and civil servants who helped formulate the initial direction and content of this Review, and the staff at the Police Foundation for their help and support throughout. Thanks also to Tahir Abbas, David Bayley, Robert Beckley, Craig Denholm, Martin Innes and Bob Lambert for their insightful, constructive and supportive comments on various drafts of the Review. Any mistakes or inaccuracies are, of course, the author’s own. Darren Thiel, February 2009 Contents PAGE Executive Summary 1 Introduction 5 Chapter
    [Show full text]
  • Community Policing: a Practical Guide for Police Officials
    U.S. Department of Justice Office of Ju\tice Program\ NLIIIOIIN/111$ttffftrof./l(.sftcc pea: September 1989 No. 12 A publication of the National instituteof Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management. John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Community Policing: A Practical Guide for Police Officials By Lee Y. Brown Like many other social institutions, American police depart- ments are responding to rapid social change and emerging This is one in a series of reports originally developed with problems by rethinking their basic strategies. In response to some of the leading figures in American policing during their problems such as crime, drugs, fear, and urban decay, the periodic meetings at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The reportsare published so that police have begun experimenting with new approaches to Americans interested in the improvement and the future of their tasks. policing can share in the information and perspectives that were part of extensivedebates at the School's Executive Among the most prominent new approaches is the concept of Session on Policing. community policing. Viewed from one perspective, it is not a The police chiefs, mayors, scholars,and others invited to the new concept; the principles can be traced back to some of meetings have focused on the use and promise of such policing's oldest traditions. More recently, some of the impor- strategies as community-based and problem-oriented policing. tant principles of community policing have been reflected in The testing and adoption of these strategies by some police particular programs initiated in a variety of places within agencies signal important changes in the way American policing now does business.
    [Show full text]
  • The Shift Length Experiment What We Know About 8-, 10-, and 12-Hour Shifts in Policing
    THE SHIFT LENGTH EXPERIMENT What We Know About 8-, 10-, and 12-Hour Shifts in Policing POLICE FOUNDATION THE SHIFT LENGTH EXPERIMENT What We Know About 8-, 10-, and 12-Hour Shifts in Policing By Karen L. Amendola, David Weisburd, Edwin E. Hamilton, Greg Jones, Meghan Slipka With Anneke Heitmann, Jon Shane, Christopher Ortiz, Eliab Tarkghen Washington, DC The Police Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and improvement in policing. Established in 1970, the foundation has conducted seminal research in police behavior, policy, and procedure, and works to transfer to local agencies the best new information about practices for dealing effectively with a range of important police operational and administrative concerns. Motivating all of the foundation’s efforts is the goal of efficient, humane policing that operates within the framework of democratic principles and the highest ideals of the nation. ©2011 by the Police Foundation. All rights, including translation into other languages, reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and the International and Pan American Copyright Conventions. For information about using Police Foundation copyrighted material, please visit www.policefoundation.org/docs/copyright.html. Police Foundation 1201 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-2636 (202) 833-1460 (202) 659-9149 fax [email protected] www.policefoundation.org ISBN 978-1-884614-25-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2011943533 This project was supported by award 2005-FS-BX-0057 from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.
    [Show full text]
  • If You Have Issues Viewing Or Accessing This File Contact Us at NCJRS.Gov
    If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. 1/' -:-l COMMUNITY POLICING IN THE 1980'S: RECENT ADVANCES IN POLICE PROGRAMS L-. Edited by Donald J. Loree and Chris Murphy Research and Program Ministry Secretariat Development Branch Solicitor ~eneral Canada Canadian Police College Ottawa, Ontario March 17-19, 1986 J ~ ~ mfftl:11\ft~ H § L. This Conference was jointly sponsored by the Canadian Police College, a Canadian police service of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and by the Secretariat of the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada. Published under the authority of the Hon. James Kelleher, P.C., M.P., Solicitor General of Canada. © Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1987 Cat. No. JS 42-34/1987E ISBN 0-662-15807-5 U.S. Department of Justice 108794 National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the pers?n or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated In this documen~ ~re tho.s.e of the authors and do not necessarily repr~sent the official pOSitIOn or policies of the National Institute of Juslice. Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been granted by Minister of S11pply and Services Canada to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). F.urther reproduction outside of the NC"RS system requires permis­ sion of the copyright owner. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Canadian Police College, the Ministry of the Solicitor General or any government department or agency. Egalement disponible en fran9ais sous Ie titre La police et la collectivite dans les annees 80: progres recents au niveau des programmes.
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Incident Review of the San Bernardino Public Safety Response to the December 2, 2015, Terrorist Shooting Incident at the Inland Regional Center
    Bringing Calm to Chaos A critical incident review of the San Bernardino public safety response to the December 2, 2015, terrorist shooting incident at the Inland Regional Center Rick Braziel, Frank Straub, George Watson, and Rod Hoops Bringing Calm to Chaos A critical incident review of the San Bernardino public safety response to the December 2, 2015, terrorist shooting incident at the Inland Regional Center Rick Braziel, Frank Straub, George Watson, and Rod Hoops This project was supported by grant number 2015-CK-WX-K005 awarded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity. Recommended citation: Braziel, Rick, Frank Straub, George Watson, and Rod Hoops. 2016. Bringing Calm to Chaos: A Critical Incident Review of the San Bernardino Public Safety Response to the December 2, 2015, Terrorist Shooting Incident at the Inland Regional Center. Critical Response Initiative. Washing­ ton, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Published 2016 Contents Letter from the Director of the COPS Office ....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • AGENDA (Detailed Agenda on Next Page)
    Of scienc The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP) presents the 2018 CEBCP Symposium on Evidence-Based Crime Policy George Mason University, June 21, 2018 SUMMARY AGENDA (Detailed agenda on next page) THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018 FOUNDERS HALL, GMU-ARLINGTON CAMPUS 7:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS ART ATRIUM, 1st Floor 8:30 – 9:30AM (I) Responses to the Opioid Epidemic AUDITORIUM (1 hour) (II) Critical Issues in Forensics Investigations ROOM 111 9:45 – 10:45AM (I) Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System AUDITORIUM (1 hour) (II) Communities and Crime Prevention ROOM 111 (III) Police Technologies: BWCs and LPRs ROOM 113 11:00 – 12:00PM (I) Understanding and Addressing Disparity AUDITORIUM (1 hour) (II) Firearms Violence and Policy Responses ROOM 111 (III) Police Proactivity and the NAS Report ROOM 113 12:10 – 1:10PM LUNCH AND AWARDS CEREMONY ROOMS 125/126 1:20 – 2:35PM (I) School-Based Crime Prevention AUDITORIUM (1 hour, 15 mins.) (II) Practitioner Innovations and Research in the Field ROOM 111 (III) Improving Police Crime Prevention and Legitimacy ROOM 113 2:45 – 4:00PM SPECIAL PRACTICE-FOCUSED WORKSHOPS (1 hour, 15 mins.) (I) Using HIDTA’s ODMAP Application ROOM 111 (II) Research and Analysis for Fugitive Apprehension ROOM 113 4:00 pm ADJOURN GUEST WIFI ACCESS AT GMU IS FREE AND OBTAINED VIA SELF-REGISTRATION. On your device, select MASON as your wireless network. Go to your web browser and enter “itservices.gmu.edu”. The self-registration portal will appear. Click on “Create an Account” and enter your information to complete the self-registration. 1 For ten years, the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy has been committed to providing you with high-quality research and research translation tools.
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolving Strategy of Police: a Minority View by Hubert Williams and Patrick V
    U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice r Perspectives on Polici January 1990 No. 13 A publication of the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University The Evolving Strategy of Police: A Minority View By Hubert Williams and Patrick V. Murphy ~~fbged g? l!q'q . .. there is an underside to every age about which history does not often speak, because history is writtenfr-om records left by the This is one in a series of rep0 privileged. We learn about politics fr-om the political leaders, about of the leading figures in Ame economicsfrom the entrepreneurs,about slavery from the meetings at Hanard Universi plantation owners, about the thinking of an agefrom its intellectual elite. -Howard Zinn interested in the improvement and the future of policing can share in the information and perspectives that were part of extensive debates at the School's Executive Session on Introduction The police chiefs, mayors, scholars, and others invited to the meetings have focused on the use and promise of such strategies Kelling and Moore, in their recent interpretation of the as community-basedand problem-oriented policing. The strategic history of American policing, succinctly summarize testing and adoption of these strategies by some police agencies that history as falling generally into three eras: (1) political, signal important changes in the way American policing now (2) reform, and (3) community.2 This attempt to create does business. What these changes mean for the welfare of paradigms, as with all such attempts, should be seen citizens and the fulfillment of the police mission in the next metaphorically, providing us with ways to crystallize the decades has been at the heart of the Kennedy School meetings and this series of papers.
    [Show full text]
  • Patrick V. Murphy: a Leader in the Policing Profession
    PERF Annual Meeting Washington, DC, April 26 –27, 2012 See page 12 for more information. A NEWSLETTER OF THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM Vol. 26, No. 1 | January/February 2012 PERF Report Offers Police Leaders’ Perspectives On Immigration Enforcement PERF has released a new report that explores the issue of illegal immigration from the perspective of local police and sheriffs’ departments across the country. The report, Voices from Across the Country: Local Law Enforce- country where she doesn’t know anyone. Those are the issues that ment Officials Discuss the Challenges of Immigration Enforcement, is are capturing everyone’s attention. based on regional meetings of police executives and other officials It’s both a local issue and a federal issue, but the leadership has held in Raleigh, NC; Colorado Springs; and Laredo, TX. In ad- to be federal. Something needs to be done to get a coherent policy dition, PERF convened a meeting at the Prince William County, on this. Recently, community colleges in North Carolina voted to VA Police Department to hear officials from that department de- admit illegal aliens and give them in-state tuition. So which is it? If scribe their experience in implementing a new immigration policy you’re going to accept students into your schools, what message are in 2007–08. we giving those students when we won’t give them a driver’s license? The report, which PERF produced with support from Carn- The double messages that we send to people who are here illegally egie Corporation of New York, is available online at PERF’s website: must seem overwhelming to them.
    [Show full text]
  • Translating Police Research Into Practice by Cynthia Lum
    Ideas in POLICE American FOUNDATION Number 11 Policing August 2009 Translating Police Research into Practice by Cynthia Lum Introduction what we know are effective from information and based strategies that reduce or prevent in scientific knowledge about Eleven years ago, in one of the crime? A number of benefits effectiveness are more likely first Ideas in American Policing could be reaped from such a to reduce crime when they lectures, Lawrence Sherman rational approach. Strategies are employed. Similarly, if advocated for evidence-based and tactics that are generated interventions have been policing, that is, “. police practices should be based on scientific evidence about what Ideas in American Policing presents commentary and insight from leading crimi- works best” (1998, 2). Like nologists on issues of interest to scholars, practitioners, and policy makers. The papers published in this series are from the Police Foundation lecture series of the other police researchers and same name. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not innovative police practitioners necessarily represent the official position of the Police Foundation. The full series at the time, Sherman believed is available online at http://www.policefoundation.org/docs/library.html. that information generated from © 2009 Police Foundation. All rights reserved. systematic or scientific research, Cynthia Lum, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Administration as well as rigorous in-house crime of Justice Department at George Mason University and the analysis, should be regularly deputy director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy. used by the police to make both Her research areas include policing, evidence-based crime strategic and tactical decisions.
    [Show full text]
  • Principles of Good Policing: Avoiding Violence Between Police and Citizens (Revised September 2003) About the Community Relations Service
    U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service Principles of Good Policing: Avoiding Violence Between Police and Citizens (Revised September 2003) www.usdoj.gov/crs About the Community Relations Service The Community Relations Service (CRS), a unique component of the U.S. Department of Justice, seeks to prevent or resolve community conflicts and tensions arising from actions, policies, and practices perceived to be discriminatory on the basis of race, color, or national origin. CRS provides services, including conciliation, mediation, and technical assistance, directly to people and their communities to help them resolve conflicts that tear at the fabric of an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse society. CRS does not take sides among disputing parties and, in promoting the principles and ideals of nondiscrimination, applies skills that allow parties to come to their own agreement. In performing this mission, CRS deploys highly skilled professional conciliators, who are able to assist people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Police-citizen conflict accounts for a major portion of the disputes to which CRS responds. The agency provides a wide range of conciliation and technical assistance to help prevent or resolve disagreements over alleged police use of excessive force and other policing issues. CRS carries out most of its activities informally, but will conduct formal negotiations if the disputing parties believe that approach offers the best opportunity for reaching a mutually satisfactory settlement of their differences. www.usdoj.gov/crs U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service Principles of Good Policing: Avoiding Violence Between Police and Citizens (Revised September 2003) Foreword Over the years, the Community Relations Service (CRS) of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Community Policing: the Past, Present, and Future
    Layout 1 11/24/04 2:38 PM Page 1 Edited by Lorie Fridell and Mary Ann Wycoff 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 930, Washington DC, 20036 Phone: 202-466-7820 Fax: 202-466-7826 www.policeforum.org frontmatter 12/6/04 3:28 PM Page i Community Policing frontmatter 11/10/04 9:22 AM Page ii This project, conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), was supported by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Points of view or opinions contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of PERF or The Annie E. Casey Foundation. © Police Executive Research Forum, The Annie E. Casey Foundation Police Executive Research Forum Washington, DC 20036 United States of America November 2004 ISBN: 1-878734-82-2 Library of Congress: 2004116837 Cover design by Nelson Design Group Interior layout by Cynthia Stock frontmatter 12/6/04 3:28 PM Page iii Community Policing The Past, Present, and Future Edited by Lorie Fridell and Mary Ann Wycoff annie e. casey foundation and police executive research forum Washington, D.C. frontmatter 12/6/04 3:28 PM Page iv frontmatter 12/6/04 3:28 PM Page v Contents Foreword ix part i. the community policing model 1 The Defining Characteristics of Community Policing 3 Lorie Fridell 2 The Best Community Policing Practice May Be Invisible 13 Mary Ann Wycoff 3 Community Policing is Good Policing, Both Today 25 and Tomorrow Edward A. Flynn part ii. the implementation of community policing 4 The Results of Three National Surveys on Community Policing 39 Lorie Fridell 5 The Survey Data: What They Say and Don’t Say about Community Policing 59 Gary Cordner v frontmatter 12/6/04 3:28 PM Page vi vi part iii.
    [Show full text]