DERBY — The following letter was sent to The Valley Indy by Derby Police Chief Gerald Narowski:
To the residents of the City of Derby,
It is with a heavy heart that I write this message to our community. As a police officer for 33 years in this city and now the chief of police, the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department shocks the conscience.
His death has understandably sparked outrage throughout the country. The callousness and disregard shown for this man are irreprehensible and leaves everyone, including police officers across this nation, shocked, infuriated, and disgusted.
George Floyd’s death is a harrowing reminder that while we have made great strides in law enforcement over the years systemic failures still exist. Serious questions must be asked about the failure to address policy issues surrounding negligence in hiring, retention, training, and supervision.
Equally disturbing is the indifference and lack of intervention by the other police officers at the scene. Each and every officer had a duty to protect George Floyd. His death at the hands of law enforcement should never have occurred. Many legitimate concerns have been raised in our communities regarding policing policies and practices, ranging from the use of force, to bias in policing, to police accountability and transparency.
Our police department condemns the actions of the officers involved in this death. I assure you that failures of that day in Minneapolis do not reflect the training, culture, and beliefs of the men and women of the Derby Police Department. Our sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Floyd. The police exist to protect the public. The police are also members of the public. None of us are perfect and we are willing to listen and learn from each other.
In 1829 Sir Robert Peel penned the Principles of Law Enforcement. One of the main principles of this document resonates today “The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police existence, actions, behavior, and the ability of the police to secure and maintain public respect.”
These are issues that are rightly at the heart of any community’s relationship with its police department and the trust they have. The events in Minnesota continue to fuel mistrust of the police.
The Derby Police Department’s core values include Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence. I ask the members of our department to reflect on these core values each day to continue to build the trust of the community. Our goals are to work with the community and continue to build partnerships and relationships, and open lines of communication to break down the barriers of hate and mistrust and replace them with mutual respect and kindness.
This is a time when all of us need to listen to each other to affect change so that this does not occur again. We have a long challenge ahead to digest the concerns and criticisms of the public and work towards meaningful change to make our community a better and safer place to live.
Respectfully,
Gerald D. Narowski
Chief of Police
Derby Police Department
