Memphis police actions set our efforts back in Kitsap

Published 1:30 am Friday, February 10, 2023

Editor’s note: This column was edited for space. Go to the sheriff’s Facebook site for the entire message.

Like many others, I have watched the videos of members of the Memphis Police Department’s sustained beating of Tyre Nichols which led to his death. The brutality of it was savage. The actions by the officers were so far outside the acceptable norms of professional policing that it was appalling.

It was appropriate that the police department, outside criminal investigators and prosecutors took quick actions by investigating these officers, firing them and charging them with serious crimes. The family of Mr. Nichols and the community demand justice, and these actions are an important step in that direction.

Watching these videos causes a range of emotions. I was saddened that a family and a community has suffered such brutality and a needless death at the hands of these officers. I was also saddened that in a country that still struggles with racism and bias this incident would only cause further harm and set the efforts so many are making backwards.

The actions of the officers seemed so callous and extreme that the death of Mr. Nichols causes anger for any reasonable person. The incident comes at a difficult time as our country deals with important issues such as race relations and the role of law enforcement, and the actions of five officers only serves to damage both. I am angered that in a profession and world where police are already under intense scrutiny and are working hard to prove ourselves that these few individuals could potentially damage our collective efforts.

Going forward after something as emotional as this is always difficult. For many who had distrust in police, this will cause further harm. For those who want to severely limit the role of police this incident may serve their argument. For many, they may question whether these actions are typical nationwide. I cannot explain why the Memphis officers did what they did. For those who want to find the cause of this incident the first place to look would be the culture of the department, and I would ask the public to consider this before casting blame on our profession.

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office has worked hard over many years to build partnerships with our communities and build trust. This is a continuous effort that we will continue to prioritize. We have built a strong culture that promotes community service and professionalism. We have focused on updating our policies, practices and training to meet best practices. We have been focusing on training that encourage de-escalation and alternatives to use of force. We have specialized members who deal with those in mental health or behavioral crisis. Due to a historic number of retirements and those leaving our profession, we have hired many new people in the last several years. They come to us with a heart for the profession and a desire to serve their communities and an understanding of the expectations placed on modern law enforcement. Additionally, in recent years the state has enacted some of the strictest laws in the country regarding police accountability.

We are operating in a difficult political environment marked by hyper-partisanship and sometimes the refusal to listen to each other and dehumanize those who have differing opinions. Policing has changed and will continue to change. We are impacted by large social problems such as untreated mental illness, addiction and unsheltered homelessness. We agree that these should not be issues left to the police to fix, but we need additional community resources to help respond to these problems. After decades of crime lowering, we are now facing rising rates. Our communities expect us to respond to crime and public safety concerns and want us to have the proper tools to do our jobs. With historic staffing issues, we are finding it difficult to meet our communities’ expectations. Citizens do expect us to be accountable, transparent and to work with our communities to come up with solutions that are appropriate and just.

Speaking for the sheriff’s office, we consider it a privilege to serve our community. Our thoughts go out to the Tyre Nichols family. They deserved better. It is up to all of us to continue to live up to the ethical and moral responsibility that we are entrusted with.

Sheriff John Gese