Jennifer Arbogast, Glasgow Police chief, listens to a member of the Glasgow City Council as the council considered adopting certain policies in the department’s Standard Operating Procedures on Aug. 24, 2020.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
GLASGOW, Ky. – Amid calls for social justice and reviews of police departments across the nation, the Glasgow Police Department is updating its operations procedures that pertain to things like chokeholds and “no-knock” entries.
The Kentucky League of Cities, which the City of Glasgow is a member, handed down several operational procedure updates and those were accepted by the Glasgow City Council on Aug. 24.
The additions include policies pertaining to duties to intervene, early intervention, “no-knock” searches, response to resistance and firearm optics.
“This department was doing this. That doesn’t mean others were in the state,” said Chief Jennifer Arbogast. “KLC just doesn’t do things for Glasgow. The policy came down. We knew the changes were coming, so we just adopted it and bought it on.”
The set of updates were put in place due to violent situations across the nation that have included civilian and law enforcement encounters.
Policy 1.5 in the GPD Standard Operating Procedures details searches and seizures, and a new section regarding “no-knock” entry was added. The prior edition of the policy was not specific in its details regarding those types of scenarios.
Section B specifies policies relating to knocking and announcing before entering homes. The updated policy was revised and requires officers to “knock at the entrance and announce their identity and purpose.”
The former policy permitted officers to enter a home without announcing themselves if certain circumstances existed such as “when the delay caused by the announcement may enable the suspect to escape” and when “the officer’s purpose is already known to the occupant.”
Those were removed in their entirety.
The new policy requires officers to knock and announce at the entrance regardless of circumstances.
A new section, which comes amid calls for the abolishment of “no-knock entries,” was added that details procedures for when authorities should use that type of entry.
The policy dictates that a judge must have signed that particular type of warrant for a “no knock” entry to occur. If police believe the entry should be used without a warrant, the officer must obtain permission from the chief or his designee, the manual said.
The new section also details that SWAT teams should serve all “no-knock” warrants.
For a complete look at the Glasgow Police Department’s SOP, click here.
