Coming together as a community

We are facing challenging times as a nation. Now is the time to center the voices of people of color who are asking us all to pause and listen to their concerns that have gone unheard for so long in this country. I encourage members of the Dover community to attend the student organized vigil tonight in Henry Law Park (8pm) to stand (socially distant and masked) in support of and listening to these voices. It may feel uncomfortable at times to hear what is said, but we all need to pause and listen to take a step towards better understanding and building a more just and equitable future.

I also encourage you to also take a minute to read the statement from the Dover Chief of Police.  I appreciate that he has made this statement and expressed his interest and willingness to talk with anyone about their concerns right now.  I also want to underscore that this is not about singling out the Police, as the issues of implicit bias plague all walks of life, myself included. For me the message is not that the images we've seen from arrests and traffic stops around the country can't happen here, but rather that we need to do everything we can to make sure they don't. Whether through regular training for all members of the Department, community policing efforts to build connections, careful selection of School Resource Officers to build positive relationships, working to hire a diverse police force that better reflects the make-up of our community, or any of the other measures that are in place, my impression is that the Dover Police Department is working hard to embody the true meaning of "protect and serve" for all members of our community.  And if this has not been your experience with Dover Police, please know that you can reach out to me at anytime if you do not feel comfortable contacting the Chief.

But it also goes beyond these immediate issues to the underlying factors that contribute to the inequities we see today. Until we are ready to have tough conversations about righting those wrongs, educating our children about the hard parts of our history, and questioning our own biases, it will be hard to make meaningful progress. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but am here to listen and learn and help our community grow together towards a better future.