Safety Department is the only safety department in the state of Ohio that has a consolidated police and fire department. Oakwood Public Safety Officers are committed to integrity by upholding community trust; are dedicated through loyalty to the community; and are respectful treating all people with dignity and in an unbiased manner. The Department protects life and property; promotes a safe and secure environment; and provides superior police, fire, and emergency medical services.

The Oakwood Public Safety Department has a recruitment and selection process designed to advance applicants who are the most qualified. Candidates must be a U.S. Citizen; be at least 21 years of age; have a valid driver’s license; follow a lateral entry hiring process; be certified in one of the three disciples; and have successfully completed 12 months of full-time service and be currently employed as a full-time police officer, career firefighter or paramedic. Over the last decade, public safety hires have no less than six years of experience. The selection process includes completion of a 50+ page application packet; two oral interview boards; a comprehensive character background investigation; two truth verification tests; a psychological exam; and a medical exam. The Oakwood Public Safety Department has recruited officers from all over the Miami Valley region. The department is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any applicant.

The Oakwood Public Safety Department has a comprehensive use of force policy covering all facets of the application of force, documentation of use of force incidents, and the administrative review of use of force incidents. Chief Hill provided the following breakdown of use of force incidents over the past five years: 2016 – 6; 2017- 6; 2018 – 3; 2019 – 3; and 2020 year-to-date – 0. During this same period of time, the Oakwood Public Safety Department made over 1,000 arrests and conducted in excess of 15,000 traffic stops. Following the tragic death of George Floyd, much discussion has occurred locally, statewide, and nationally with regards to use of force polices. Research shows that more restrictive use of force policies can reduce killings by police and save lives. The following use of force policies are recommended for incorporation in safety department policies: ban chokeholds and strangleholds; require de-escalation; require warning before shooting; exhaust all alternatives before shooting; duty to intervene; ban shooting at motor vehicles; require use of force continuum; and require comprehensive report. Chief Hill provided an overview of these eight policies as written in the Oakwood Public Safety Department Manual.

The proper application of the carotid control hold (e.g., Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint) may be effective in restraining a violent or combative individual; however, due to the potential for injury, the Safety Department prohibits officers from using such holds or similar control techniques as a routine defensive control tactic. The use of the carotid control hold by officers is only authorized when it is reasonably necessary to prevent death or serious physical harm. The last time the Oakwood Public Safety Department administered a chokehold was in 2008 during a foot pursuit with a burglary suspect that was caught leaving someone’s house. Chokeholds are not used as a routine defensive control tactic and it can only be used when it is necessary to prevent death or serious physical harm.

Any individual who has had the carotid control hold applied, regardless of whether he/she was rendered unconscious, shall be promptly examined by an on-duty paramedic or other qualified medical personnel. If the sole paramedic on-duty is involved in the application of force, the on-duty supervisor should request a mutual aid medic response to conduct the medical examination. The officer shall inform any person receiving custody, or any person placed in a position of providing care, that the individual has been subjected to the carotid control hold and whether the subject lost consciousness as a result. Any officer attempting or applying the carotid control hold shall promptly notify the Crew Lieutenant and/or on-duty supervisor of the use or attempted use of such hold. The use or attempted use of the carotid control hold shall be thoroughly documented by the officer in the form of a written report(s). These report(s) include an ALERTS report and the completion of a Use of Deadly/Physical Force Report.

De-escalation and de-escalation training is nothing new to the Oakwood Pubic Safety Department. Over the past several years, the Safety Department has provided periodic de-escalation trainings through various in-service trainings. Most recently, Public Safety Officers completed law enforcement de-escalation trainings in June and July of 2020. There will be six additional hours of training before the end of this year. De-escalation tactics are used daily in law enforcement.

The courts have recognized that law enforcement encounters are fast-evolving and rapidly changing dynamic situations and a warning before shooting may not always be feasible. For example, if an officer is being actively shot at, it is not feasible for that officer to give a warning before returning fire.