Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: AUGUST 2016 17 LEE SJOLANDER DARRYL McALLISTER OPINION/EDITORIAL Editor’s note: Kenyon, Minnesota Police Chief Lee Sjolander recently posted a powerful message to officers in Dallas and elsewhere. It’s been shared nearly 2000 times and gathered nearly 5000 likes. It is an open letter to the law enforcement community. I f I was your chief, and we worked for the same agency, serving the same great community, I would attend roll call, and here is what I would say: We have calls for service that we need to respond to. We have a grateful public that needs us, we have re- sponsibilities. Yes, there are those out here who do not like us, or what we repre- sent. It’s been that way long before you or I became of- ficers, and it will be that way long after we’re gone. The public we serve have certain expectations, and we would all like them met when you can. We expect you to be kind, we expect you to be fair, we expect you to be profes- sional, and we expect you to do the best you can on every call for service. We expect you to know the difference between the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law, and when to use your best discretion. We expect you to leave people better than you found them when you can, and never take away someone’s dignity. We expect you to be well- trained, and to know when, and when not to apply your training. We expect you to be human. That means it’s ok to laugh, cry, and be scared at times. I want you to remember why you chose to answer this public service calling. I hope it was to be part of something bigger than your- self. I hope it was to serve the public that we love, and I hope it was to build relation- ships with coworkers, as well as our public. I hope you chose this call- ing because you love having a front row seat into the lives of people, love problem solving, and know that what you do makes your family and friends proud. Yes, we are all sharing in some dark times right now. But, we still expect you to do your job to the best of your abilities. As your chief, I also want- ed to add these expecta- tions. I expect you to patrol your areas with a smile on your face, kindness in your heart, calmness in your soul, and a wave to those you see. I expect you to get out of your patrol car, and visit. I want you to listen to the compliments and the con- cerns. Take them all in and remember, it’s not “us vs. them.” I expect you to show oth- ers that we are better than these tragedies and we are striving to be better in so many ways. I expect you to be safe at work, and at home. I hope you visit with your family openly about the current state of our na- tion. Talk about how if we give into fear, violence, and propaganda, we will not be part of the solution. If you, or another member of our public service family is struggling, I expect you to get help, and I expect you to help others. I promise you, there is no shame in seeking help and being well. I, as well as so many others are here for you. If you need me, I will be just a phone call, or radio call away. I truly appreciate, and love each and everyone of you. Lee Sjolander, Police Chief, Kenyon, Minnesota. I t is way, way too early to speculate on the rightfulness, wrong- fulness, or precipitat- ing circumstances of the officer-involved shoot- ings in Louisiana and Min- nesota recently. The facts in those incidents will likely bear themselves out as the investigations un- fold. But, regardless of what those facts eventually reveal, our hearts hurt here in Union City — the hearts of com- munity members and police officers alike — for the tragic events that unfolded. Then on a Thursday evening in Dallas. Twelve police officers and two inno- cent members of the public were ambushed by a gunman while the of- ficers tried to oversee an organized protest regarding the recent events in Louisi- ana and Minnesota. Five of the 12 Dallas of- ficers who were shot have died. It’s not supposed to be like this. While fractured communities grapple to find common ground with their police officers and law enforcement officials, com- munities like Union City, fortunate to enjoy a positive and healthy relationship with their own police, are still affected. But we find ourselves writhing in heartfelt frustra- tion as we watch these huge (and in some cases, deadly) tensions unfold in other places. We are not benign, nor are we immune to the national drumbeat of police-commu- nity distrust as it continually threatens to stand in the way of the positive, productive narrative the vast majority of us devotedly seek regarding police-community trust. This is a very difficult time to be in policing. It is also, without question, one of the most challenging times we’ve ever seen for law enforcement in our effort to pave the way for trust and kinship. So many of us are trying to demonstrate a positive al- ternative to the pervasively negative stigma that does not represent the fantastic police work that occurs ev- ery day,all over the nation. It’s a daunting task to keep our officers ener- gized, focused, and pos- itively engaged amidst the recent scandals and terrible stories unveiled on the evening news. We tell our com- munity of Union City, that we want them to know that the Union City Police Department remains committed to them. Despite our own heartfelt frustrations about the pum- meling of the law enforce- ment profession lately, both locally and nationally, we in Union City will continue to do our best in engaging with our citizens and staying the course in providing efficient and professional service that we do with an enormous sense of pride. We want the public to know how much we truly appreciate the strong sup- port we receive from our community on a daily basis. We value the trust they read- ily invest in us — despite the ugliness of recent events that bring doubt, question, and stigma to our profession. We thank them for their kinship for engaging with us, and for rusting in us. And we know they are grieving along with us for the unimaginable loss of life in Dallas. Darryl McAllister is the chief of police in Union City, California. We value the trust you so readily invest in us – despite the ugliness of recent events that bring doubt, question, or stigma to our profession. We value the trust the community places in us The strong project strength Dallas Police Sgt. A.P. Martin talks with a child while per- forming community patrol in the Cielo Ranch apartments in southwest Dallas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)