An Open Letter to the Township of Belleville,

Recent events in Minneapolis and Atlanta have affected our nation and our community very strongly and have resulted in peaceful rallies, violent protests and a demand to reform policing. I was personally offended by the videos of these police encounters that could have, and should have, been handled much differently, and without the loss of life. My job as Belleville's Chief of Police is not to fix these tragic events or the resulting civil unrest, but to lead the Belleville Police Department and commit our 100 officers to doing better.

Since becoming Chief in 2016, I have repeatedly told my staff that we can always do better. Today, I am telling the Township of Belleville and everyone who lives, works, shops, dines or visits our town that we will do better. Racism, bias, excessive force and all forms of police misconduct shall not be tolerated in the Belleville Police Department and I am dedicated to eradicating it.

Everyone knows that actions speak louder than words. As such, my staff and I shall implement the following changes to our policies, procedures and daily operations to ensure that police misconduct is addressed swiftly, that we are more transparent, and that we build on our already positive relationship with the community.

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