Our Chief of Police Michael Shaw shared a few thoughts recently on social media. We appreciate his leadership in these troubled times and thank him and the department for working to make our community safe for all people. Here is what he shared:
I, like many of you, was abhorred by the actions of the former Minneapolis Police Officers and how they treated George Floyd. Policing is a tough profession right now, and it has been for several years. Incidents like this only set us back, and make the job that much harder for the men and women that go out and do the right thing, day after day.
To see this type of incident happen in this day and age is, for lack of a better word, unfathomable. I have watched it, and keep asking "Why"? Training? Fear? Stupidity? Honestly I don’t know. But I do know this. We have a high standard for ourselves here. We are accountable not just to ourselves, but to our community. Are we perfect? No. Do we make mistakes? Absolutely. But I can honestly say that I believe an incident like this would not happen here, because of those reasons. I think the service we provide has to be beneficial to the community, and we pride ourselves on doing just that. Your trust in us is paramount, and a cornerstone of our mission statement.
Please know that we, as a department, are just as sickened by what transpired in Minneapolis as you are. I know that our profession has some work to do to restore its image, and I thank all of you for your support. Please know that it is appreciated. We are truly humbled.
Chief Shaw, and the men and women of the Webster Police Department