In the past year, all around the world, three letters have been spoken by the people, and they have been spread throughout the media and the streets: BLM. This stands for Black Lives Matter.
The recent spike in outrage started in response to a series of confrontations, but one act of police brutality seemed to ignite a nation.
On the day of May 25, 2020, a Black man, George Floyd, died at the hands of ex-police officer, Derek Chauvin, who was recently found guilty of murder. Floyd was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill.
Floyd’s arrest was much more than he deserved. Derek Chauvin pulled Floyd over to the side of the road, put him on the ground, and then kneeled on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Since then, there have been many incidents similar to this that have caused a lot of confusion, outrage, and even more questions.
I spoke with Administrative Lieutenant of the Westport Police Department, Dave Wolf regarding some students’ thoughts on policing in Westport.
Q: How have these times of policing issues affected Westport Police officers?
A: “For many reasons, the last year has been challenging. However, our officers have maintained a positive attitude. They continue to conduct themselves professionally and are always striving to have positive relationships with members of the community as well as visitors. These positive relationships are important as that creates trust between the police and the community we serve.”
Q: Given the recent accident where the police officer accidentally used her gun when she meant to use a taser, how are Westport Police Officers trained to prevent those accidents from happening?
A: “ As silly and basic as this may sound, we train to prevent accidents like the one described above by training. We train with our tasers several times a year and one of those trainings consists of a recertification whereby each officer has to demonstrate proficiency with the weapon.”
Q: In the past year, how many guns or tasers have been fired in Westport?
A: “Officers have been carrying tasers since 2009 and I am happy to say that they are used very infrequently. In fact there have been no taser deployments during this past year. Further, it has been more than a decade since a Westport officer had to fire his gun in the line of duty.”
Q: What sorts of programs does the police department have to maintain relationships with the Westport community?
A:“The Westport Police engages in several programs that work to strengthen our relationship with the community. For example, our youth detective and school resource officer organize a number of events each with the town’s young people. One of our most popular events is the annual DodgeBall Tournament at the High School. Additionally, our command staff has regular meetings with senior members of the town’s various religious organizations. These are just two examples. Additionally, we maintain an open door policy and encourage members of the community to visit us at any time.”
In conclusion, the main goal of the Westport Police Department is to serve us citizens, while establishing a good relationship with us at the same time.