Committee hears Fire & Police Commission SOP updates, including new generative-AI policy and timing concerns about pursuit changes
Loading...
Summary
The Fire & Police Commission briefed the committee on six SOP changes including a new SOP about generative artificial intelligence meant to guide future procurement; committee members also expressed concern that a recently heard change to vehicle pursuit policy had limited time for oversight review and asked for earlier coordination on controversial SOPs.
The committee received a monthly update from the Fire & Police Commission (FPC) about standard operating procedure changes, including a newly created SOP addressing generative artificial intelligence.
Leon Todd, Executive Director of the FPC, said the new SOP (SOP 682) “is intended to promote responsible and ethical use of AI technologies within the police department,” including guidelines for secure application, legal compliance and transparency. Todd said MPD currently does not use generative AI for report writing but that the policy was created before any procurement to guide future decisions; he said the SOP went into effect Jan. 21.
Todd also summarized administrative updates to communications SOPs (to reflect the Department of Emergency Communications) and several other noncontroversial updates. Committee members asked for a brief explanation of a technical change that allows dispatch of the closest unit across district boundaries when the new CAD system identifies the fastest unit.
Several members raised concerns about a recently heard proposed change to the vehicle pursuit policy at the FPC. The policy hearing occurred the previous week and the requested implementation window was early February. Members argued that potentially controversial SOPs should be brought to the oversight committee before going into effect so the council can exercise its review function. Todd said the timing of the FPC meeting and agenda flow limited inclusion on this meeting’s packet; members asked that future controversial items be fast-tracked to committee and suggested the chief could delay implementation if desired.
The committee placed the SOP update on file and requested staff coordination with the city Information Management Committee where relevant.
Sources: FPC presentation by Leon Todd to Public Safety & Health Committee meeting.
