COUNTYWIDE : Sheriff Issues Letter on the Use of Force
Ventura County Sheriff John V. Gillespie has issued an open letter to his employees in response to the nationwide furor created by the beating of Rodney G. King by Los Angeles police.
Gillespie condemned the March 3 beating and noted that politicians are urging changes in law enforcement practices across the country.
“I say change is not needed if we simply abide by the letter and the spirit of our training, our guidelines and the law,” he stated in the letter. “Simply put, use only the force necessary to get the job done.”
Officers overstep their bounds, he said, when they go beyond controlling a suspect and punish him for what he may have done.
“I, too, was once a street cop,” he said. “I know about excitement, fear, adrenaline and anger. I also know about right and wrong. So do you.”
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