Tucson city leaders repeal controversial police-related ordinance

SAYS -- THE RULE'S ORIGINALINTENT -- WAS TO PROTECT --POLICE CRIME SCENES.

IT KEPTPEOPLE -- FROM VIDEO RECORDINGPOLICE -- WITHIN CRIME SCENESOR INVESTIGATION AREAS.

NOW --KOZACHIK SAYS -- THE COUNCILAND MAYOR BUCKLED UNDER PUBLICPRESSURE -- TO REPEAL IT.HERE'S NINE ON YOUR SIDE'SROGELIO MARES -- WHO SPOKEWITH KOZACHIK TONIGHT.TUCSON COUNCILMAN STEVEKOZACHIK SAYS THERE WAS A TIMEWHEN THE ENTIRE COUNCIL WAS ONBOARD WITH A RULE THAT HE SAYSWOULD HAVE PROTECTED POLICECRIME SCENES -- NOTHING MORE.SOT EVERYBODY ON THE COUNCILRECOGNIZED THAT OUR POLICEOFFICERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TOPUT UP WITH THAT KIND OFVERBAL ABUSE.

09SEC SO INAPRIL THE COUNCIL PASSED THISMEASURE.

HE SAYS A NARRATIVEFROM OUTSIDE INFLUENCESSTARTED TO UNRAVEL THECOUNCIL'S ENTHUSIASM FOR THERULE -- ORDINANCE 11746:ESTABLISHING POLICE RESTRICTEDAREAS AND PENALTIES FORINTERFERING WITH POLICEINVESTIGATIONS OR ENFORCEMENTACTIVITY.

SOT QUITE FRANKLY,BECAUSE OF PUBLIC PRESSURE,THE REST OF THE COUNCILDECIDED: 'GEE, THIS ISSOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOTCOMFORTABLE WITH ANYMORE.'QUITE FRANKLY, FOR ME, IT'SREALLY SIMPLE, TPD HAS THENEED AND THE RIGHT TOESTABLISH A LEGITIMATE CRIMESCENE.

15SEC YESTERDAY, THECOUNCIL VOTED TO REPEAL THATRULE ALL TOGETHER -- CITINGTHE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD INMINNESOTA AND CIVIL UNRESTACROSS THE COUNTRY.

KOZACHIKSAYS WHILE SOME MEMBERS OF THECOUNCIL TALKED ABOUT FINDING ACOMPROMISE -- HIS OWNEXPECTATIONS ARE LOW.

SOTWE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT ITLATER ON.

THE COPS KNOW IT,THE COUNCIL KNOWS IT, THEMAYOR KNOWS IT.

THIS IS A DONEDEAL NOW AND FRANKLY IT'S TOOBAD.

07SEC ROGELIO MARES, KGUN9 ON YOUR SIDE.COUNCIL MEMBER PAUL CUNNINGHAM-- SAID THIS TODAY ABOUT THECOUNCIL'S DECISION: "THEREASONS BEHIND THE PROPOSEDORDINANCE WERE JUSTIFIABLE;BUT THE TIMING COULDN'T BEWORSE.

THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTPROCESS FOR THIS ORDINANCE WASCUT SHORT BY COVID-19 ANDWE'VE HAD AN IN-CUSTODY DEATHIN THE INTERIM.

THERE MAYBE ATIME WHEN THIS ORDINANCE CANBE REVISITED; BUT THAT TIME ISNOT NOW.