Manhattan Beach Police Chief Derrick Abel emphasizes de escalation in George Floyd aftermath
Manhattan Beach Police Chief Derrick Abel. Photo (CivicCouch.com)
by Derrick Abel
Manhattan Beach Chief of Police
[Editor’s note: The following statement was released on Sunday]
Dear Manhattan Beach community,
I am reaching out to you with a heavy heart in response to the civil unrest that occurred in Los Angeles and many other areas over the past several days, to let you know what the Manhattan Beach Police Department is doing in the wake of such tragic events. The Manhattan Beach Police Department is fully aware of the protest activity and has implemented a number of safety measures for the City of Manhattan Beach to ensure the protection of our community. Although we support the right to conduct peaceful demonstrations, we do not condone or support illegal or destructive behavior that results in hurtful actions to communities and places everyone’s safety at risk.
Like you, I am angry and disgusted by the murder of Mr. Floyd. He did not deserve to be killed and certainly did not deserve to be treated with a lack of basic human decency. Like many of you, the members of the Manhattan Beach Police Department are also struggling with what took place and are hurt by the criminal actions of those in question. The Manhattan Beach Police Department works extremely hard at fostering community trust and demonstrating fairness, professionalism and unbiased-policing. In essence, “treating others the way we would like to be treated” is what we expect from all of our department personnel. We teach our officers and other police staff to demonstrate professionalism at all times and de escalate situations in an effort to bring about peaceful and meaningful solutions. I am proud of the men and women of the Manhattan Beach Police Department for their dedicated professional service minded attitudes and their commitment to treating everyone with the same level of dignity and respect they deserve.
We will continue to work hard everyday to gain the trust and respect of our community, which we proudly serve. I look forward to working with all members of this community and beyond to foster goodwill and trusting partnerships that will serve as a beacon of hope for everyone. I am happy to discuss any points that I have outlined in my message. Please do not hesitate to contact me at dabell@citymb.info or (310) 802-5103. ER