A Dadeville City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 12, ended with members in gridlock over adopting a new police-pursuit policy.
The debate centered on changes to the city’s policy following a deadly police chase in a neighboring county last month.
Police Chief Jonathan Floyd submitted an updated policy draft to council members on Tuesday, which outlined modernizing pursuit protocols to be in compliance with the Alabama Municipal Insurance Company, the police department’s current insurance provider.
“This is the policy they currently use and what they recommend and I want to be in line with the AMIC recommendation,” Floyd said.
AMIC is an insurance company representing more than 580 Alabama municipalities, including utility boards, gas districts and police departments.
However, contention arose when Councilwoman Teneeshia Goodman-Johnson, who initially proposed changes to the policy, advocated for the inclusion of a no-chase policy clause.
The amendment would restrict the department’s use of vehicle pursuits in capturing criminal suspects as Goodman-Johnson cited safety issues with the law enforcement protocol.
The councilwoman added she feels police engaging in high-speed pursuits increases vehicle accidents and cited the death of a Chambers County Sheriff Department’s deputy that died on June 20 after assisting with the pursuit of a suspect.
As such, Goodman-Johnson concurred that the policy should follow insurance guidelines, but petitioned for more time so that this additional clause would be considered.
“I am asking if we could table this until the next meeting,” Goodman-Johnson said.
Councilman Darryl Heard concurred with postponing the vote, requesting more time to review the policy.
“I’m not going to vote on something I haven’t read,” Heard said.
Councilmembers Tony Wolfe and Terry Greer disagreed, with Wolfe submitting a motion that the city adopt Floyd’s policy draft.
A tie ensued as Councilwoman Brownie Caldwell was absent during the meeting, making Mayor Frank Goodman the deciding vote.
Goodman ultimately sided with Wolfe and Greer and voted to implement the policy in its current state and without a no-pursuit clause.
Floyd expressed confidence in the updated version, adding that the policy had remained the same overall.
“It’s almost the same as we have just with some updated language and updates relating to the integration of technology. Everything is not that different and is really more modernized,” Floyd said.
Among the recommendations, the new policy encourages the use of interior vehicle cameras as well as administrative reviews of situations involving police pursuits.
