Police Chief: Floyd’s death was senseless, unjust and outrageous

Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey posted this statement on June 1:

Let me start with this: The death of George Floyd was senseless, unjust, and outrageous.

The actions of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin were reckless, egotistical, and criminal. There is absolutely nothing to excuse or mitigate what happened to Mr. Floyd and the actions of Derek Chauvin completely undermine the well-intended efforts of the vast majority of police officers around the country who are trying to do the right thing. Every good cop abhors the treatment of Mr. Floyd.

There is not a citizen in this nation who deserves to live in fear of the people designated to protect them. There is no possible reason or excuse for any officer to carry a bias that causes them to treat any person disparately.

Department policies

In recent days, I have been asked about our department policies and practices. In answer to those queries, I can tell you that our department maintains a strong stance against biased policing and have appropriate policies in place to respond to any allegation of profiling or conduct where bias is suspected. This includes protections for all citizens of any race, national origin, gender, age, economic status, cultural group, or sexual orientation. We conduct annual training that includes de-escalation techniques and cultural diversity.

We are in the final stages of deploying a body-worn camera program. We have the equipment and policy. We are now working through the technology aspects of getting the system running and hope to have everything in place within the next 30 to 45 days. We value and seek transparency in the way we conduct our business and I believe that our citizens would be proud of our officers.

Swift and decisive action

I have served the citizens of Gig Harbor for nearly 29 years and during that time, I estimate that I have worked alongside approximately 40 different officers. I can look you straight in the eye and tell you that I have not witnessed one hint of racially motivated speech or conduct from any Gig Harbor Police Officer. I can also promise you that if I do, the issue will be addressed swiftly and decisively.

I applaud our state for working jointly with law enforcement and community groups to develop perhaps the most sweeping change in police accountability laws in the nation. For those officers who do their jobs right day after day, there is no concern with these changes.

Hiring process important

We often point to additional training of officers to help address obvious problems with racial and cultural disparity. I agree with this approach, but I also believe that we need to focus just as much on the hiring process for police officers. The Gig Harbor Police Department is the only agency of which I know that utilizes Emotional Intelligence screening in the pre-hiring process and, although it may not catch all matters of bias or disparate tendency, it is at least a further look into a person’s triggers and worldview.

Within our organization, we talk about doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. We will continue with this approach while we continue to protect the rights, physical safety, and personal decency that every citizen deserves.

Stay safe, be kind, and please — respect each other.

This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 12:00 AM.