Sometimes there is an excuse for things we see or experience. Sometimes there is no excuse. Sometimes everything seems beyond comprehension with no rational way to explain away what we see and feel. This is one of those moments.

When our NLCRPD team members first saw the news feed on the death of George Floyd it was beyond comprehension. It was obvious this was no application of force that was ever trained for or authorized under the normal guidelines for force application. The immediate analysis was unanimous among our NLCRPD team. This was wrong and it was criminal. Many times, in the world of policing there are no bright lines. No clearly defined boundary that is not subject to later debate. We accept that as the policing environment we live in and adapt appropriately for problem solving and decision making.

It should be clear and unambiguous. This was not one of those times, in fact the obvious question is WHY? The next question was immediate - HOW? How did this happen, what allowed the other officers to stand by and do nothing? What went so wrong that no officer acted on his duty to stop the bad act and immediately summon emergency medical assistance. WHERE was the first line police supervisor?

The resulting discussion from all quarters of the NLCRPD was unmuted disbelief. Our members understand our duty and commitment to serve the community. We understand while sometimes the lawful application of force is required, the critical element of the force application is the proportionality of the force application. Our agency use of force policy demands officers to intervene in the event the force is unnecessary, excessive, or beyond the scope of accomplishing our lawful objective.

The NLCRPD supports the ideals and sentiments expressed in the attached letter on behalf of the members of the Lancaster County Chiefs of Police Association. It is essential however for the community to never discount the commitment of police professionals across our community, state and nation to community service and respect of community members.

The NLCRPD team not only has many of the policy and practices in the being discussed in the headline’s already in place. We are trained and accredited and have proofs of our efforts, our policy initiatives, and the expectations and outcomes of our professional organization.

Upon reflection our NLCRPD team understands we can longer afford to take these practices as being something we can consider assumed understandings by the community and the citizens we serve. It is time to shine a spotlight on the good things that the NLCRPD as a progressive professional police agency provides to our citizens. We are ready to answer the policing questions of why do you do this or how do you do this? And we are equally ready to ask - if we can do it why can't others?

In future days and weeks to come the NLCRPD will highlight and explain those initiatives we have accomplished as a team and those we are pursuing in the future. We hope to illustrate some things we take for granted in the delivery of high-quality police services. Somehow doing the right thing at the right time becomes second nature to agencies such as our NLCPRD team in embracing excellence. These tools include these essential elements:

Emphasis on selection of agency personnel – extensive screening, background, and testing

Clearly defined policy Understandings of policy by agency members with assured understanding frequently reviewed and tested

Constant Communication of expectations for agency members by command staff and all agency leadership

First line supervisors who assure communication and compliance by members with policy directives and procedures

Monitoring of performance and support of our team

Effective discipline

Officer wellness

Transparency, communication, and embracing community members and key stakeholders

Accountability

Accreditation of the agency by a professional standards board

Unrelenting leadership and pursuit of excellence

Holding personal and agency core values as a non-negotiable currency