‘It’s Not Supposed to be Like This’: California Law Enforcement Reacts to Dallas Shootings

Police departments, first responders and lawmakers from across California mourned the law enforcement officers killed Thursday night along with the national schism the tragedy laid bare.

Statewide, police chiefs sent prayers and support to the families of the slain officers in Dallas while also sending out their own officers to face what comes next here at home.

• Dallas Shootings: Snipers Kill 5 Officers, Wound 6, During Protest Over Police Killings Of Black Men
  

In a speech to graduating Los Angeles Police recruits, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck was blunt in acknowledging troubled times. He lamented the loss of life as well as the loss of trust between officers and the communities they police.

"To think that members of a fine police department such as Dallas P.D. were targeted because of the uniform they wear, because of the job they do, because of the love they have for American freedom is beyond belief; it is beyond sad," said Beck. “And the pain is not just about personal loss; it's not just about the loss of another law enforcement officer; it's not just about the attack on American institutions. It's much more than that. It is a symbol of a breakdown, of a schism that has occurred within our society, where we have done what societies do when they are in trouble: we have separated, we have broken into tribes."

Five law enforcement officers were shot dead and seven others wounded in Dallas Thursday night when at least two snipers opened fire during a rally to protest the killing of two black men by police.

In the wake of the tragic events, police and fire officials from across California have taken to social media to mourn and in a show of force.

In Union City, Police Chief Darryl McAllister published an open letter to residents, putting into words the nation’s pain while watching the tragedy in Dallas unfold.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s not supposed to be like this,” wrote McAllister. “We do, by way of human compassion, find ourselves writhing in heartfelt frustration as we watch these huge (and in some cases, deadly) tensions unfold in other places...This is a very difficult time to be in policing. It is also, without question, one of the most challenging times we’ve ever seen for law enforcement to pave the way for trust and kinship.”

Photo courtesy Oakland Police Twitter