Woooo ducked out of the tail end of my all hands meeting to get to the Public Safety Standung Committee meeting taking place. Here’s a link to the link: https://richmondva.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx 

Live threading as long as I can here

Had to get up to get some food because self care is a thing I'm slacking on. Thankfully @JLJLovesRVA has me covered. https://twitter.com/JLJLovesRVA/status/1288146142597873665?s=20

Mike Dickinson is a piece of garbage. Why are you approving him on all of these boards?

We're starting in with the resolution to revise RPD's policies to ban the use of chemical weapons to control protests. Chief Smith is having difficulties with his computer so @Stephanie4RVA is presenting her paper.

Honestly can't wait for Gray to show her ass on this paper. She's been calling for more crowd control and policing in her district around MDPC and she wants to hear more from Chief Smith in this meeting.

@Stephanie4RVA says she understands that there are some instances where these weapons are needed rather than lethal force, which RPD is accustomed to using.

Chief Smith finally got his shit together and is now making the case that the training/decision making needs to be made higher up in the ranks rather than by lower officers. He's back on his high horse about how he's made all of these "great" changes so far.

Chief Smith goes on to say that if they can't use chemical weapons that they will need to increase physical contact. You mean like the violent arrests of press and folks on the sidewalk outside of Monroe? So more of locking up who you don't like...

FINALLY time for public comment. First speaker is Erica, and out of the gate they state we need to demilitarize the RPD and stop the punishment of people exercising their first amendment rights.

Next speaker is speaking on behalf of RVA Health Alliance (I think I got that right), reading a letter discussing the dangers of the use of chemical weapons and how it causes folx to demask and increases the risk of spreading COVID between protesters and other parties.

The letter goes on to talk about the use of rubber bullets, the harm they cause, flash bangs, and the harm those cause. Didn't know that flashbangs have caused fires. Important to know given how little rain we've gotten.

Time for @JLJLovesRVA! He (pronouns in profile) shares his disappointment that the committee was ready to continue the paper without hearing from the public & medical professionals. He talks about how he's been on the ground, and cops have targeted press and protesters even 1/2

when complying with police orders. Dropping info about how residents have been effected by chemical weapons both immediately surrounding MDPC and in neighborhoods far away from actual incidents.

Next called is Elizabeth and she talks about RPD / Chief Smith's PR problem, how the police do not make her feel safe as a white woman and she can't imagine that BIPOC feel any safer. She questions why the committee is even debating the use of chemical weapons during a pandemic.

Myria shared their personal stories on nightly protests and honestly it was hard to listen to how much trauma they have suffered day in and day out witnessing police officers assault the citizens of Richmond.

@nomesense is on the line and reminding the committee and Chief Smith about the violence that occurred at Reclamation Square. They remind us that chemical violence is also gender based, citing they know multiple folx that have had bled for days w/ multiple periods in a month

Related to @nomesense comment, since being gassed early in the protests, I've been spotting almost daily and I have birth control specifically designed to prevent that. Knowing this info is extremely enlightening for me personally.

@MrLegacyJones spoke on Chief Smith's North Carolina restraining order and brings up RPD's contract with Defense Technologies. I missed a vast majority of his comment & the next due to a work call. Current caller is speaking on how Council is ignoring young people in the City

Final caller draws comparisons between the 2A protest on July 4th and other BLM protests, noting that the 2A protests had no use of chemical weapons but other protests have been plagued with them.

There's some confusion on if the paper is being continued, the Chief wants to speak. Hilbert is "offended" that people are drawing comparisons between the civil rights movement and current protests is wrong and offensive to the memory of @repjohnlewis

Hilbert wants to know 1. why we have these weapons in the Commonwealth and 2. what the disciplinary actions are for officers the use of these weapons by untrained staff. Chief Smith echoes that he wants to implement changes where only top leadership makes the call to use them.

For example: a lieutenant currently has the ability to deploy chemical weapons and Chief Smith thinks that it should be higher up the food chain in RPD. He says he's seen the problems and is bringing in an independent reviewer to the department to look at things.

Chief Smith says that he was present Saturday night to authorize the use of chemical weapons at RPD HQ. He states that he didn't have them pull the trigger until Richmond Fire Dept was also threatened by protesters.

Hilbert follows up on members of the press being detained by RPD, even after stating they are press or showing credentials. Chief Smith says he's reviewing footage and he has an inquiry started. He says he's working with press to figure out how to better identify them.

Identifying press with attention drawing garments or signage will lead to the POLICE targeting them or changing their behavior when they can spot people cataloging their behavior (if they actually care, which is less likely). This is dangerous precedent setting by RPD.

Hilbert wants BLM or other protesters to identify folx that are causing violence/destruction because in his small mind, he thinks that banning the use of chemical weapons is tied directly to protesters outing our own.

Didn't see shit. Don't know shit. We don't out anyone.

Chief Smith discussed the use of an LRAD in other cities but can't speak on why it's harmful to use. Here's more info on LRAD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Acoustic_Device It's considered a sonic weapon and can cause permanent hearing loss not just to protesters but also to residents in the City

@thedrmikejones is now speaking on being a Black man in the South during civil rights movements & claps back on Hilbert's comments regarding @repjohnlewis vs protests today. He notes that Black civil rights leaders were demonized in their day and Black folx didn't have the 1/2

ability to throw rocks or other weapons because they were being killed in their time. He cautions that drawing these comparisons is literally comparing apples to oranges. (2/2)

@thedrmikejones reminds the committee that the Geneva convention has banned the use of chemical weapons, wonders why we're debating on this in a pandemic, and notes that this measure does not ban the use of pepper spray as his daughter carries it for personal safety.

He continues with a story about him and @Stephanie4RVA being a block and a half away from RPD when they were shot at with projectiles. He urges that they either vote now or move to general council in which Chief Smith can show up and defend his use of these weapons there.