Woodridge Mayor Responds To George Floyd Death, Subsequent Violence

Press release from the Village of Woodridge:

Posted on: May 31, 2020

Dear Neighbors:

I am writing to you today at a time of sadness, anger, and disappointment. The video showing the senseless and brutal death of Minneapolis resident, George Floyd, is a hurtful reminder that we continue to fall painfully short of our nation’s founding principles. After 244 years as a nation, I am ashamed at our society’s continued failure – time and time again – to deliver on those promises to all residents. It is clear that we must and can do better.

To be clear, the Village Board of Trustees and I unequivocally condemn and denounce the brutal actions of the Minnesota police officer who has since been charged with murder. To those who wish to peacefully protest in response to the death of George Floyd, please know that every law-abiding person living in, working in, or simply visiting, our community, will be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.

Under the leadership of Police Chief Brian Cunningham, our police officers are committed to protecting lives, property, and the right to free speech – and will do so ethically and by demonstrating the highest professional standards of conduct. The selection and continued development of our dedicated police officers represents a conscientious investment by our Village in officer recruitment, as well as training. We’ve made these important policy decisions to ensure our officers are equipped with proper training in areas of de-escalation, use of force, crisis intervention, mental health, and officer wellness. Our entire Department was also an early adopter of diversity and implicit bias training, and I am proud of our Department’s outreach efforts to engage and foster meaningful connections with all of our residents.

Together, as a community, as neighbors, we must now make the conscious effort to take up the task of building trust and creating an environment where all our residents feel safe and included. We cannot remain silent when injustices occur. Nor can we simply rely on “Liking” or “Sharing” a social media post, and pretend that we’ve “done our part” in supporting our black and brown neighbors. As your Mayor, I am asking for a bigger commitment: to peacefully stand together as a community, and to reject racism in all its insidious forms; and to join hands and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community. Together it is indeed our civic duty to do the necessary work of building safe places where people of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds have the opportunity to enjoy equal access to all that our society has to offer.

Let us all come together now – peacefully – and take these important first steps. Let us build our society’s capacity to eliminate racial disparities, heal racial divisions, and build a more equitable society – starting not tomorrow, not next year, but starting today. And yes, we all have a responsibility in this.

Very truly yours,

Gina Cunningham
Mayor

This press release was produced by the Village of Woodridge. The views expressed here are the author’s own.