ANTIOCH — In an effort to boost transparency and accountability following allegations of excessive force, the Antioch Police Department changed some of its policies in 2024. According to an expert, those policies now better align and may exceed some national standards.
The Antioch Police Department has faced public criticism, lawsuits, and federal scrutiny stemming from various allegations, including severe injuries caused by dog bites from the department’s K-9 squad.
In 2022, Interim Police Chief Steven Ford announced that the department was conducting a “top-down” assessment of the use of police dogs. Two years later, a new policy manual was released that addresses those concerns and more within the department.
Mark Meredith, a police practices and premises security expert for Robson Forensic, said changes made in the updated manual are more consistent with national standards when compared to the department’s 2019 manual.
“These standards aim to improve transparency and accountability for any police department, as long as they are appropriately implemented and adhered to,” said Meredith in an email to this organization.
Meredith said the 2024 manual’s changes to canine deployments are more restrictive than national standards. The new policy now stipulates that a supervisor must obtain approval before a canine searches or apprehends a suspect.
“Generally, the decision to deploy a dog is up to the handler based on the use of force criteria in that state or the law enforcement agency,” Meredith said. “The new policy also spells out the types of circumstances in which a dog can be deployed while understanding that not all circumstances can be accounted for.”
Guidelines now state that police dogs cannot be deployed against those involved in minor infractions or low-level crimes. Deployment information and any related injuries should also be included in any incident or arrest reports.
Antioch Police Chief Joe Vigil, who assumed the role permanently in April, said the department had changed its canine policy so that it was more restrictive to avoid a “repeat of what has happened historically here.”
He added that the department had introduced an early intervention system that notifies a supervisor when officers receive a certain number of complaints.
“So, we get this notification, ‘hey, this person has triggered the system, take a look at what he’s doing,’ and we take a closer look at the information he’s submitting to the system,” said Vigil.
Before the policy change, Vigil said an officer could be involved in multiple incidents without their supervisors being fully aware.
Meredith believes the early warning system is aligned with national standards and can mitigate “problematic behaviors” when implemented appropriately.
“If a law enforcement officer receives too many ‘points,’ this triggers a full review of the officer’s recent history,” said Meredith.
Other updates in the 2024 manual include stricter guidelines around kinetic energy projectiles.
Under the new policy, officers must notify a supervisor whenever such tools are deployed, and supervisors are encouraged to respond to the scene when available.
According to Meredith, these updates align Antioch’s policies with recommendations from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“The notification of a supervisor for the use of force can also be used to understand if current department training is adequate or to identify personnel who may need additional or remedial training,” said Meredith.
The 2024 policy also notes that officers are expected to carry out their duties, “including the use of force, in a manner that is fair and unbiased.”
It also states that if an officer is observed using force “that potentially exceeds” what is “reasonably” believed to be necessary, then the observing officer must immediately report it to a supervisor.
Unlike the previous policy, newer guidelines state that an officer who fails to intercede on behalf of another officer when using unreasonable force may also be disciplined.
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