Dear John, I have always believed that policing is more than a job. It is a deeply important responsibility. It is a duty to protect our communities, to keep people safe, and to stand up for what’s right.
Our nation is suffering right now. Our communities are broken, but they are not beyond repair. We need to stand side by side with them and listen. Because their pain is our pain. Their struggle is our struggle. In the words of Sir Robert Peel, the founder of modern policing, “the police are the public, and the public are the police.” We have moved so far away from that principle, as a society. But I know that many of us – police and civilians – are working hard to restore that trust.
The law enforcement officers at the Law Enforcement Action Partnership believe in the potential for a better system and a better world. We see the current problems with police, and we know it is long past time to transform and rebuild. It is time to approach every aspect of our jobs from a place of transparency and accountability knowing that to do so benefits police as much as it benefits those we serve.
We are so proud to see the police officers who took a knee in support of the peaceful protests, the chiefs who walked with the crowd, and every officer who engaged protestors with respect and compassion. We cannot condone violence or destruction of property, but we must acknowledge the place of grief and frustration it comes from – and when we show our willingness to hear those who have felt so unheard, then we can begin to rebuild.
Above all else, I offer condolences, on behalf of everyone at LEAP, to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbrey, and Breonna Taylor, and all families and communities that have been hurt so deeply by an inherently flawed and unjust system. We all deserve justice. We all deserve peace. And they are attainable – but only if those of us who share these values work together toward our common goals. Join us now. It has never been more urgent. In Solidarity,  Major Neill Franklin (Ret.) Executive Director | |
