Newark Police Chief, Political Leaders Address Community

NEWARK, CA — As protests over the death of George Floyd continue in the tr-cities, the Bay Area, and across the nation, Newark's Mayor, City Councilmembers, City Manager, and Police Chief have written an open letter to the community. Here is the letter in its entirety:

"Over the past several days we have witnessed widespread grieving over the senseless killing of George Floyd and we have heard criticisms of injustices across America. We too cannot remain silent.

"We want to be clear where we stand: the killing of George Floyd is reprehensible. We grieve for the many lives lost to acts of racism and violence. We stand with those who feel sorrow of this senseless loss of life. We also call upon all cities and communities to stand up to blatant acts of racism in our society and injustice within our institutions.

"We support the goals of demonstrators who peacefully assemble and those who seek justice in our world. The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution and it is our duty to protect it.

"We will also protect our residents and businesses who have invested in our Newark community. Those who use violence distract from the critical message of the moment.

"That message is that the world needs to change.

"Our Police Department is diverse. Our officers represent an array of ethnic backgrounds, speak different languages, and practice a variety of religious faiths. We invest heavily in our training which includes de-escalation techniques, racial profiling prevention, implicit bias awareness and procedural justice.

"We will never stop improving. We encourage constructive dialogue and genuine engagement. Through these interactions we - as a community - can and will make our City a better place.

"Let us work together to find meaningful ways to honor the life of George Floyd. Let that collective work reflect the community we want to become.

"We will be reaching out to our community in the next few weeks to see what changes can be made to our policies and protocols to ensure that the humanity and dignity of every person is fully recognized.

"We take pride in that Newark is an Inclusive Community. We reject racism and we stand united with you."

Alan L. Nagy, Mayor
Luis L. Freitas, Vice Mayor
Maria "Sucy" Collazo, Councilmember
Michael K. Hannon, Councilmember
Mike Bucci, Councilmember
David J. Benoun, City Manager
Gina L. Anderson, Chief of Police