Blaine police chief: ‘It’s long past time for the two Americas to come together‘

America is going through a challenging time. Many in America are responding to the deaths of George Floyd, Amaud Arbery, Atatiana Jefferson, and many others at the hands of the police. They are also responding to systemic racism that has affected people of color for many years. Too many years.

As the chief of police of Blaine, I stand for truth and righteousness. I condemn any abuse, however slight, of police power and authority. The members of the Blaine Police Department are highly trained and have the utmost respect for life and humanity. Blaine police officers are trained in de-escalation techniques, effective use of force, crisis intervention and the unjustness of bias-based policing. We have been taught how to recognize our own implicit biases, understand how biased policing impacts community members and have developed skills and tactics to reduce the influence of bias.