Report Shows Number Of Times Use Of Force Used By St. Pete Police

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — In the wake of discussions and protests in St. Petersburg following the death of a man in Minneapolis police custody, the St. Petersburg Police Department and other police agencies across Pinellas County have been asked about their use of force policies.

St. Petersburg Police Department follows the eight policies listed under the President Obama Use of Force Pledge known as 8 Can't Wait, a news release said. The department has used these policies as standard guidance for a number of years.

These are the 8 Can't Wait guidelines:

• Ban choke holds and strangleholds
• Require de-escalation
• Require warning before shooting
• Requires exhaust all alternatives before shooting
• Duty to intervene
• Ban shooting at moving vehicles
• Require use of force continuum
• Require comprehensive reporting

Patch reached out to Mayor Rick Kriseman's office to see if the city plans to review the police department's use of force policies, but officials refused to answer questions. St. Petersburg Police Department also declined to comment.

Pinellas County law enforcement agencies are aware of residents' concerns and are working toward common goals and unified policies to ensure confidence between law enforcement and the public, said the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in a news release.

"Having policies in place is only 50 percent of the equation," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri in a statement. "And I suggest to you that a more important part of the equation is agency culture. And that is people who actually do the right thing. And insisting that the right thing is being done. Remember a lot of the things that are being called for—some people are calling for citizen review boards, they're calling for body cameras. They're calling but guess what? All of those things were already in place in Minneapolis."

Gualtieri explained that there is a culture problem at the Minneapolis Police Department. He said in Minneapolis they have the policies but not the right culture.

"What people really need to be focused on is making sure that we, as agency leaders, are accountable and held accountable, and that our people are held accountable for doing the right thing."

A report the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office sent out on Friday gives more detailed information about how many times each year a St. Petersburg Police Department officers make arrests with use of force.

The report includes use of force statistics from 2018 and 2019 at the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Use of Force Incidents:

Use of Force Incidents Involving Arrests:

Use of Force Citizen Race: