Sharon Police Chief Responds To George Floyd's Death

Sharon Police Chief John Ford recently penned a statement in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody. His remarks are below:

Notes From the Chief
To be presented at the BOS meeting

I appreciate this opportunity to address the Select Board and the community this afternoon. The events surrounding the murder of George Floyd have deeply and emotionally impacted me, the men and women of the Sharon Police Department, and the entire nation. We grieve together and we are united for change.

Understandably, over the coming months, there will be many questions asked of all of us in law enforcement. However, I would also suggest that we, as a society, engage in some self-reflection. It is my personal belief that we all bear responsibility for this tragedy by the sheer fact that as human beings we are born of hearts corrupted by sin. However, I also personally believe that through grace we can bring productive and true progress towards meaningful dialogue and healing. Healing that is deep and assuredly painful to achieve. Healing that demands time and effort beyond superficial and vitriolic exchanges on social media.

The men and women I represent of the Sharon Police Department are some of the finest people that I know. Many of them were born and raised in this community and started their training towards integrity and compassion as kindergartners in the Sharon Public Schools. Each and every one of them are committed to serving this community to the point of injury or death. This is a fact that truly moves me and I believe this community inherently understands and appreciates that fact as well.

Over the course of 100 plus years of existence the Sharon Police Department, to the best of my knowledge, has not had one single supported claim involving race. We average less than one formal complaint a year and most are for perceived officer rudeness. Some of that success is attributable to officer training. However, I also believe that the predominance of that success is more accurately due to the character and moral upbringing of our officers. Parents, teachers, clergy and coaches all have played a part in the moral development of our officers.

All of us have received countless trainings on numerous subjects, including diversity, inclusion, use of force and de-escalation. The following is directly from our Use of Force Policy:
“The value of human life is immeasurable in our society. This Department places its highest value on the sanctity of life, the safety of its officers and the public………This includes developing skills to de-escalate volatile encounters, containing and awaiting assistance, and apply reasonable tactics to achieve the best possible resolution.”

You will soon hear more about the specifics of our extensive training from my administration. In my opinion, what is truly more critical than training is the hiring of individuals that possess the seed of moral virtue and compassion. I can attest to the softness and compassion of my officer’s hearts. I observe it each and every day. I see it in their relationships with the community, I witness it in their relationships with their fellow officers and I share and see it in the daily sacrifices that they make for their families.

Over my short tenure as chief, I have focused departmental commitment to three major goals: 1. the training of better officers, 2. the evaluation and meaningful feedback of officers and, 3. the building of trust, both within the department and with the community. Our social media pages are filled with efforts that have demonstrated the building of community policing and trust. These initiatives are deliberate and sincere. However, I would remind the community that trust needs to flow in all directions. The officers need to sense that their efforts will not be derailed or defeated due to actions outside of their control. I would implore the community not to short circuit that trust by unnecessarily demanding expedient change. In my opinion, we are currently on a true course of building connections that will prevent such a tragedy that took place in Minneapolis. Beyond that, I am also committed and willing to dig deeper into whether we possess implicit or unconscious biases. I would challenge the community as a whole to do the same.

Through my service to this town - first as a public school teacher for 17 years, and currently as a police officer for 23 years - I have often asked myself if I have had any meaningful impact. Not until this very moment in history have I felt as sure and as confident of my role towards achieving meaningful community action. Today, I have a strong sense of hope that we, as a community, will succeed in building a platform for deeper connections. Together, let's work slowly and deliberately towards the difficult work ahead. Let that work be tethered together with the palpable bonds of grace, forgiveness and humility.