To my friends and my community: I am shocked at the conduct
of the officers involved in the death of George Floyd, and I am embarrassed for
our profession. I share in your anger and frustration, but please do not let
this situation influence your perception of those of us who wear a uniform.
What the officers did in that case does not represent the hundreds of thousands
of law enforcement officers involved in millions of contacts each and every day
throughout this country.
In reality, police use of force is a very
rare occurrence. Rarer still when it results in death. And extremely rare when
death is the result of inappropriate conduct. It's just that every time it
happens, given today’s commercial and social media environment, the news
spreads fast and far.
Take Gulfport for example. Over the past five
years, officers have used force 171 times. That may seem like a lot, but
consider that in that same time, we made 2,163 arrests while responding to 137,714
calls for service. Every one of these cases is documented and investigated for
compliance with law and policy. Of the 171 incidents, there were no complaints
of excessive force, and only one investigation revealed a policy violation. These
ratios are typical and demonstrate how extremely unlikely it is that an individual
will be involved in a use of force situation, let alone one that involves
police misconduct.
And it’s not just internal reviews that
hold officers accountable. Everything we do is subject to oversight by multiple
levels, including the local prosecutor, state police standards board, and the
Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
I encourage anyone who would like a closer look at how law
enforcement operates on a day to day basis to participate in your local citizens’
police academy. Most agencies, including state and federal, make these programs
available multiple times per year.
Or better yet, come join us and earn a badge of your own. We
are always looking for the best and brightest.
