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Police adopt new juvenile policy

The change was made in response to the controversial handcuffing of a Pinellas County kindergartener last spring.

By ALEX LEARY
Published August 4, 2005

	[Times photo: Cherie Diez] St. Petersburg Police Chief Charles "Chuck" Harmon (in suit) speaks during a news conference Thursday to discuss the results of an investigation into the handcuffing of a 5-year-old girl last March, as St. Petersburg Police Lt. Bill Sohl waits at left.
	Documents: Police department memorandum on new policy Police department investigation report Related content: Reaction to tantrum open to interpretation (4/28/05) View video of classroom View video of assistant principal's office, arrival of police Superintendent Wilcox invites your comments Letters to the Editor

ST. PETERSBURG - Aiming to resolve controversy over the handcuffing of a kindergartener earlier this year, Police Chief Chuck Harmon on Thursday announced a new policy requiring officers to contact a supervisor before taking any child under 8 into custody.

But Harmon said he would not preclude officers from using handcuffs again, regardless of a child's age, under "extreme circumstances."

"If a child possesses a weapon or is totally violent or is capable ... or has drugs ...I'm not going to take that ability away from them," Harmon said at a 9:30 a.m. news conference.

"Because securing the child is not only for the safety of the officer, it's for the safety of the child."

The child must be displaying violent behavior when the police are there, however.

The 5-year-old Fairmount Park Elementary student tore up her classroom and hit her assistant principal during the March 14 incident but was calm when police arrived.

Harmon said Thursday he wished the officers had taken other steps to resolve the situation before using handcuffs. "I'm not going to say it was wrong but it was premature," Harmon said.

The incident gained worldwide attention after a video showing the handcuffing was released to the news media.

If the new policy had been in place when officers went to Fairmount Park Elementary on March 14, they would have been in violation because they did not consult with a supervisor.

See tomorrow's Times or sptimes.com for the full report.

[Last modified August 4, 2005, 14:48:32]