OPD is committed to improving safety
I first want to say, I am very proud of our profession and the overall noble service of everyone who takes an oath to serve our citizens. We must also accept, the way we are perceived has been fueled in part by the actions of some members of our profession who have not adhered to this oath.
Law enforcement officers join this profession to protect and serve and with the understanding we might risk our lives for someone we may never know.
Our duty and purpose are both a privilege and an honor. Think about this for a moment. The population of the United States is approximately 328 million, and there are approximately 850,000 law enforcement officers serving and protecting in this noble profession.
Though we represent less than one half of 1% of our nation’s population, we are entrusted to serve and protect the citizens of this great country. This should never be taken lightly by the members of our profession. We know trust must be earned, but we must be relentless in our efforts to protect the trust we have earned.
We cannot allow for the actions of a few to tarnish what we have worked so hard to improve over the years, and it should not reflect the entire profession. Imagine what our world would be like if we judged all members of a profession the same when one of their colleagues performed their duties contrary to their oath.
The law enforcement profession is challenged by the way our society is constantly exposed to an image influenced by movies, social media, and news reports. It is also critical to recognize what Dr. LaVon W. Bracy mentioned recently to me and some of my fellow law enforcement leaders during a community forum about how perception becomes reality.
She shared with us how some of our citizens perceive our profession: 1. The culture must change; police protect each other when wrong is committed. 2. Internal Affairs is corrupt. 3. There is no diversity. 4. Training is not taken seriously. 5. They communicate with citizens disrespectfully. We must continue to explore ways of improving relations with segments of our community who are voicing concerns for our actions. We must do a better job of having meaningful dialogue with our citizens. Our country must do a better job of addressing the underlying circumstances that require a greater police presence in some areas than in others.
Our city is the epicenter of diversity and inclusion, and the Orlando Police Department has a history of implementing polices and training aimed at reducing police use of force, removing implicit bias and furthering community engagement.
We are committed to reviewing all use-of-force policies, engaging residents during the process and enacting changes to clarify protocols for officers and helping the community understand police practices to further build community trust through transparency.
The Orlando Police Department is fortunate to have a long history of support from the community, mayor and City Commission. Public safety has been at the top of the mayor’s priorities.
We are also very fortunate to have personnel on staff who provide cutting-edge training to the members of the Orlando Police Department. Because of this, we have high performance expectations for the members of this great organization.
We are nowhere near perfect, and we are committed to working toward policy changes and community dialogue that will further the mission of keeping our city safe. This is our home and the citizens we serve are our family.
Behind the badge we are a mother, father, daughter, son, sister, brother, wife or husband.
Behind the badge are white, black, Hispanic, Asian and many others who represent this great community.
Behind the badge is she, he, they. Behind the badge is your neighbor, your friend, the person who is willing to risk their life for someone they might never know.
We wear the badge to serve you, with courage, pride and commitment.