During the past decade, nearly every relevant police statistic that is kept in this city has seen a marked decline across the board.
Under the able, enlightened and intelligent leadership of Police Chief Steven Mazzie, the city boasts a responsive, loyal to the job, effective police force.
We call. They come. No matter what it is – a fact made especially obvious during the pandemic, when responding to your danger puts the police in greater danger as well.
Civil rights law suits and violations have been almost non-existent as have been claims of police violence against residents during the past decade.
Training and education for police officers on the force has never been more vigorous.
The police budget is where it ought to be for a community of Everett’s size and varied needs – and for public emergencies that pop up from time to time.
Defunding the Everett Police Department budget would be a mistake.
Why?
Because policing this city requires a certain amount of respect, force, compassion and understanding. This does not include defunding or putting the EPD out of business as we know it today.
America is a violent society. We are a society marinated in fire arms and our society is driven by competing constituencies who all want to have their say in how exactly we should be policed.
The rioting and destruction must be met by force. Only force can stop those using force or law and order is reduced to the whims of the mob.
Shooting innocents, whether black, brown or white is another matter for police to explore and to reeducate their officers as police cannot use deadly force unless they are met by deadly force.
This is easier said than done but it should be the rule no matter how badly a citizen is acting.
Holding life and death in our hands is not for us as a people. That is the stuff of God.
Killing an offender because he or she is black or because they are running away from police – well – that doesn’t work anymore. In fact, it has never worked but it has never been considered as widely as it is today as a criminal act.
Police have the power to enforce law and order.
They do not have the power or the right to take a persons life unless they, the police, are met with a life threatening situation. Every police chief and police officer in the nation is now grappling with this new reality.
Police Chief Mazzie, we can be assured, will institute a new policy when it comes to police exercising deadly force.
It is one of the missing links in present day law enforcement. Fix that, and let’s get on with our lives again, and this includes the police just trying to do their job so we are safer for it.