(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Adrian Vasquez provided an update to City Council on Monday, March 27 on the implementation of a use of force study.

In response to the Transparency Matters study, which was prompted in July of 2020, Chief Vasquez told Councilmembers that CSPD has developed draft languages for new policies regarding the use of force, pointing a firearm, reporting of both actions, de-escalation, and treating the public.

CSPD is also looking to highlight good examples of de-escalation, Chief Vasquez said. He added that the department is building a new system to better collect de-escalation tactics data and review racial and ethnic disparities. The Chief says that should be completed in 10 months.

“We wanted to use this as, partly, a report that would inform us about our future in training and how we use force, but also, we know that transparency is what helps build trust within the community,” said Chief Vasquez in his address to City Council.

The implementation of the Significant Event video release policy in February was part of this process, Vasquez said, and is being rolled out to avoid the dissemination of misinformation following a significant event involving the police department, which includes officer-involved shootings, uses of force that require the response of the Deadly Force Investigation Team, or any other event that the Chief deems necessary.

Chief Vasquez said CSPD will release its first annual report of force within the next month, to be made available to the public.