San Ramon Police Chief Addresses Community Support Following Dallas Tragedy
San Ramon’s Chief of Police addressed the outpouring of support his department has received in the days following the Dallas tragedy.
Chief Gorton thanked the San Ramon community for their “outpouring of support” in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page Sunday. In the statement addressed to the “valued members of the San Ramon Community,” Gorton reminded residents that his department has always been “committed to the building and maintaining community trust regardless of race.”
The Chief’s letter to the community comes just days after five police officers were fatally shot during a protest in Dallas, Texas.
In the days following the tragedy, the San Ramon Police Department was inundated with gifts and positive gestures from the community. The department posted photos of the gifts they received to their Facebook page saying “your thoughtful gestures mean more than you can imagine.” Some of the gifts included a cake, Starbucks coffee, sandwiches, cookies and letters from community members.
In his letter, Chief Gorton explained the impact Thursday night’s events had on his department and the community: “These times are very stressful for both community members and our officers who serve to prevent harm, protect and preserve life; all while accepting the fact that they may loose their own lives doing so.” He went on to express gratitude for his officers, “I am, and always have been, very proud of our officers… they car a great deal about your welfare.”
Gorton also reassured the community that San Ramon Police officers receive far more training that what is required by state standards. He thanked to community for their support in nurturing community-police relations. He acknowledged: “there are hard questions that must be asked and answered in the law enforcement community nationwide and mutually respectful dialogue is the first step.”
Gorton closed the letter with: “We have to come together as one community, one nation, and heal.”
