The San Diego Police Department this week implemented a policy that sets parameters on officers’ actions during demonstrations, from when they give dispersal orders during protests deemed unlawful to when they fire less-lethal rounds.
The policy, in the works for several months, came about in the aftermath of last year’s recurring protests against police violence in San Diego and across the country.
Some protesters in San Diego have decried the way police responded to the protests — at times in tactical gear and large numbers, and with force. Meanwhile, San Diego police officials have described some of the protesters as unruly, saying some threw rocks and bottles at officers on the front lines.
The new policy was unveiled Thursday when the Police Department uploaded to its website the 15-page document. Some community members, unaware of the news before a Union-Tribune reporter asked for comment, criticized the policy. They said it fails to emphasize de-escalation and address bias-based policing, among other concerns.
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