PROVIDENCE — Executive Director Sid Wordell and President Richard Ramsay wish to provide the following statement on behalf of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association:
“Justice was served this afternoon in a Minneapolis courtroom when a jury rightly convicted Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd nearly a year ago.
“Our thoughts are with the Floyd family. The verdict is a sign that there is accountability for those who take the life of another, and an affirmation that Black Lives Matter.
“On behalf of every police chief in Rhode Island, we wish to reiterate that we stand with Black Americans today and every day. Every decent man and woman who wears a badge is committed to doing the essential work of ensuring equity in policing and confronting systemic racism that has plagued our nation for too long.”
About the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association:
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association (RIPCA) was established in 1950 and is comprised of more than 100 members; including active and retired police chiefs, and associate members – representing nearly 50 municipal, state and campus agencies that serve more than 1 million Rhode Islanders living in communities across the Ocean State.
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association has been – and will continue to be – committed in its pursuit of excellence as we strive to work closer with citizens and community partners alike in an ongoing effort to form sustaining foundations for safe and secure communities; foundations formed to endure socioeconomic instability and variations in crime rates. The organization announced the Twenty for 2020 Campaign in mid-2020, comprised of a list of promises and policy amendments set by the collective body of police chiefs. Among those promises are commitments to open book policies and procedures, better communication with the public and further training on diversity, implicit biases, and procedural justice.
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