Springfield city officials have entered a new agreement with Polis, a consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas, to conduct a comprehensive two‑year review of the Springfield Police Department’s use‑of‑force practices. The agreement, signed by City Manager Nancy Newton on Oct. 15, follows concerns that the department has not fully complied with a 2020 settlement stemming from the 2019 fatal shooting of Stacy Kenny.
Background and settlement history
In 2020, the city and the Kenny family settled a wrongful‑death lawsuit for $4.55 million after Officer Sgt. Richard “R.A.” Lewis shot 33‑year‑old Stacy Kenny during a traffic stop. The settlement required the police department to adopt a de‑escalation policy and to establish a Force Review Committee to examine use‑of‑force incidents that result in injury.
According to attorney Kevin Yolken, representing the Kenny family, the Force Review Committee met only twice despite “hundreds of intermediate or greater force applications, dozens of which resulted in injuries.” This shortfall prompted the new agreement to bring in an outside expert.
Scope of the Polis review
During the first twelve months, Polis will systematically examine existing policies, directives, training manuals, and data on use‑of‑force incidents. The firm will also interview senior and mid‑level police leaders and hold focus groups with patrol officers, sergeants, and instructors.
After an initial public presentation of findings, the second year will involve a random‑sample audit of use‑of‑force events. The audit will identify training, tactics, equipment, procedures, and other factors that could help reduce the frequency or severity of future force incidents. Polis will deliver a written report with recommendations for optimizing police‑community trust, especially regarding use of force.
Family and community response
Stacy Kenny’s parents, Barbara and Chris Kenny, emphasized the importance of a transparent administrative process that can hold officers accountable. “It is really important to our family to see that there is a good administrative process in place to review use‑of‑force incidents, that the process is actually followed, and that it has the ability to hold officers accountable when necessary,” they said.
Stacy’s sister, Kim Kenny, thanked the department for its efforts to date and pledged to continue advocating for law‑enforcement improvements. “Great governmental power requires great accountability to the public, and I hope this is a step toward that,” she said.
City’s position
City officials highlighted that the agreement does not admit fault by any party, but it does signal a willingness to address past shortcomings. The city will bear the cost of the consultant, as outlined in the ten‑page agreement.
Yolken described the new settlement as an “opportunity for SPD to move away from the protect‑our‑own policing of the past and change its culture around the use of force,” provided the department follows through and the community holds it to its commitments.
Next steps
The initial findings and recommendations will be presented to the Springfield City Council midway through the review and posted publicly on the city’s website. A final audit report will follow at the end of the two‑year period, also made available online.
Local residents and advocacy groups are encouraged to review the reports and participate in any public comment periods announced by the city. The review aims to strengthen police‑community relations and ensure that future encounters are handled with the highest standards of safety, de‑escalation, and accountability.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
