Elgin police talk to students about use of force
When an officer stops you — whether you're suspected of committing a crime or might be a witness to one — you must give your real name, address and date of birth. Otherwise, you've broken the law and risk a criminal conviction.
“At the end of the day, just do what they ask, give them the information they are looking for, and that interaction is probably going to be over pretty fast,” Elgin police officer Todd Pavoris told students at Larkin High School during a presentation Tuesday morning.
The presentation was aimed at explaining why and how police use different kinds of force, ranging from verbal commands to Tasers, pepper sprays and pepper guns, all the way to deadly force.
The event took shape after the mother of a Larkin student attended a similar presentation given by Elgin police earlier this year at the Centre of Elgin; she thought it would be a good idea to offer it at the school, Larkin officials said.
Other facts: Tasers normally aren't used on children, the elderly and people near water or elevation drops, unless it's a high-risk situation — such as if those people have weapons. Batons are to be aimed at major nerve points in the legs to make people drop to the ground. And police don't aim to kill, only to incapacitate, although they are trained to shoot at the torso.
Elgin police data shows that last year, officers showed or used various degrees of force in 156 out of 80,796 calls for service, including 3,831 arrests. There were no officer-involved shootings, with the last one in March 2012.
Any use of force must be reasonable, and depends on a variety of factors such as the severity of the crime, the officer's size and experience, the presence — or perceived presence — of weapons, and any imminent threat to the officer or others, Pavoris said.
“When I am on the street, I ultimately make that decision,” he said. “But we are not out there to pull out our guns on people. We are not out there to take anybody's life. That's the last thing any officer on the street wants to do.”
Larkin senior Nathaniel Kohler said he got a lot out of attending the presentation. “It was excellent,” he said. “It was very good to hear about what the police can do and that they have to follow guidelines when they decide when to use weapons. And that they have to use discretion with firing rounds.”
About 100 students from four classes attended the Tuesday morning event. It was open to the entire school, but many teachers had to stick to their lesson plan schedule, said Brittany Walker, Larkin's college readiness and black history club coordinator. A presentation Tuesday evening was open to the entire Larkin community, along with parents and students from feeder elementary and middle schools.
“It was very informative, like about when (police) can and can't use the Taser,” Walker said. “It was good for the students to hear about all this, because it can help them learn how to deal with police.”
Kohler agreed, adding, “I would encourage them to do it at other (Elgin Area School District) U-46 schools.”
That's precisely the goal, Cmdr. Ana Lalley said, along with a presentation at Elgin Community College in the spring. Elgin police also offers the event in Spanish.