Police Chief: 'You Don't Have To Live In Fear In Beverly'

BEVERLY, MA – In a time when seemingly obvious messages of support for certain groups of people, and condemnations of others, can cause debate and contentiousness, Beverly Police Chief John LeLacheur wanted to make sure the department's position is crystal clear when it comes to social justice.

"We, the Beverly Police Department, stand in solidarity and support with Beverly's BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)," he posted his social media on Thursday. "We wholeheartedly condemn white supremacy and will not tolerate intimidation in this city.

"We are committed to protecting the rights and liberties of all our citizens; we will respect and defend the constitutional rights for all equally."

It's not the first time he said he’s said it on behalf of the department, but told Patch the time felt right to say it again after some recent discussions with residents.

"A lot of residents had asked us to reiterate where we sit," he told Patch. "A lot of questions still come up about where the police department stands, and obviously we support the rights of all and equity.

"We want everybody to know you don't have to live in fear in Beverly. We are doing our best to make sure everyone feels safe and secure in the city."

October 15, 2020 We, the Beverly Police Department, stand in solidarity and support with Beverly's BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). We wholeheartedly condemn white supremacy and will not tolerate intimidation in this city.
— Chief John LeLacheur (@ChiefLeLacheur) October 15, 2020

He said the statement was not necessarily made in response to any recent incident in the city.

LeLacheur, who also sits in the city's Human Rights Commission, said the statements aren't meant to take a political side, but to make sure people of all races feel comfortable in the city and know that the police will look out for them.

"Our goal is to work together," he said. "Even if we have disagreements we can work together. One of the earlier statements we made way back in April is that you can be pro-police and anti-racism at the same time. You don't have to pick a side.

"We focus on getting our message out there there we're going to treat everybody equally.”