AURORA (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Aurora’s police chief said convicted murderer and former police officer Derek Chauvin "shined the light into a dark place and it is up to the rest of us in law enforcement to step into the light and show the world the best of us."
Police Chief Kristen Ziman posted on Facebook that the "guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin was the correct one. Every good law enforcement officer understands that his actions were out of alignment with the preservation of human dignity and life."
Ziman said that while it may seem as though there are two sides – those who support the police and those who wish to defund and abolish the police - she believes many people want reform, but still support law enforcement. "
..Both are possible and it’s not an either/or situation. We should be open to that. We should be continually striving to learn from the transgressions of others as well as assessing our own decisions and outcomes. None of this involves attaching blame or shame; it simply means that we honestly and objectively determine how we can be better. Always," Ziman wrote on Facebook.
Chief Ziman also commented on the Chicago police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. She said the officer who fired the shot that killed the teen "was in a no-win situation."
She said the Aurora Police Department Training Division has sent out a new training bulletin about "mindset and a new path forward" in response to the shooting. The chief said that, instead of commanding someone to "drop the gun," the department is exploring a better command such as, "Police. Don't move." She said that command "offers no confusion and defying that command is definitive."
Chief Ziman said her department's objective "should always be to improve our skills so we can preserve life and uphold justice."
Chief Ziman said she considers her officers to be "good apples" and that she's proud of them. She closes her comments by saying, "Thank you for showing up every day with a service heart and a courageous spirit. You ALL have the power to change hearts and minds one contact at a time so keep doing what you’re doing."
Related
