SLO police to hold talks on use of force and body cams in wake of dog shooting, arrests
In the wake of a controversial dog shooting incident and a high-profile home search, the San Luis Obispo Police Department will host public forums on the use of force, body cameras and public rights related to police interactions.
The department is calling the events P.E.A.C.E. talks — an acronym stands for Policing Education and Community Engagement. The department launched the P.E.A.C.E. community education forums in 2017.
A “Use of Force” talk will be held 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the forum “Understanding Your Rights: The 4th Amendment” will be held 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 25. Both events will take place at the Copeland Health Education Pavilion at French Hospital Medical Center, 1911 Johnson Ave. in San Luis Obispo.
Sign-ups at each forum are limited to the first 120 people, police said in a news release.
During the events, members of the public can ask questions of different police professionals.
“At the San Luis Obispo Police Department, we understand how important it is to have a trusting relationship with our community, and believe we must take ownership in creating those relationships,” the department said in the release.
The department has faced criticism on two high-profile public incidents in recent months — a warrantless home search related to a missing gun, and an officer-involved shooting at a private residence that left a dog dead.
In the first incident, officers searched a home on O’Connor Way on July 10, 2019, without a warrant, after mistakenly believing the homeowner was on probation due to a database clerical error.
Police were searching for Chief Deanna Cantrell’s missing gun at the time, and arrested the couple living at the home on suspicion of child endangerment due to the conditions there.
The case, against Cheyne Orndoff and Vanessa Bedroni is pending a preliminary hearing in criminal court. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges.
On Sept. 26, 2019, San Luis Obispo police officer Joshua Walsh fired three shots, killing a dog at a home off Santa Rosa Road. That incident remains under a personnel investigation.
The police department didn’t mention either of those two incidents specifically in its PEACE talks announcement.
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