Pullman police chief releases letter

The Pullman Police Department chief on Monday released an open letter to the community about what his department is doing to prevent a tragedy like the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“I am writing this letter to let you, the Pullman community, know that I am committed to hiring practices that reflect our department’s values,” Chief Gary Jenkins wrote. “I will continue to hire officers who are predisposed to protect and preserve life in a manner that recognizes and respects the dignity of all persons.”

Jenkins added that he will work to ensure officers receive the necessary training to accomplish this goal. He said his officers were reminded to, if at all possible, “use no force in order to further our mission of ‘Policing Our Community with Compassion and Professionalism.’ ”

“If force is necessary, it must be used reasonably,” he wrote.

Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested last month and is being charged with second-degree murder after pressing his knee on the neck of Floyd, who died. Floyd’s death and the deaths of other African-Americans at the hands of police officers have sparked demonstrations and protests across the country.

Jenkins said condemnation of law enforcement officers is not enough and law enforcement leaders must take action. He said he is working to “create a culture that values problem solving with a community policing philosophy.”

“Providing this information is not an attempt to say we have done everything that we need to do; it is to say that we are giving our best effort,” he wrote. “I truly believe that we are doing the right things, hiring the right people, and moving in the right direction.”

Jenkins also released a summary of the Pullman Police Department’s practices and training.

It describes how police officers in Basic Law Enforcement Academy undergo de-escalation training and cultural competency and implicit bias training.

Officers in November underwent training on use of force. Additionally, criminal justice researchers from Washington State University have unlimited access to all Pullman Police body-worn camera footage.

According to the city, “research involving over 4,600 hours of Pullman officers’ videos concluded that there was no evidence that Pullman police officers were more likely to use force, use force more quickly, at higher levels, or for longer durations in situations involving minority suspects.”

The full summary can be found at pullman-wa.gov.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.