June 1, 2020
While it may be a massive
understatement, 2020 has certainly been a year of unexpected circumstances and
events in our town, across our country and around the world. Enduring months on end of a viral pandemic
and managing the social distancing, stay at home requirements and business
shutdowns has certainly taken a toll on most of us. For all the life events that needed to be
postponed or cancelled altogether, we all share a measure of sadness at the (hopefully
temporary) loss of our “regular life.” On
top of all this, we have now had numerous tragic incidents across our nation
where it is clear that many citizens are demanding systemic change. Most of us have seen the videos from these
recent incidents and are justly and rightly outraged.
The Darien Police Department
remains steadfast in our complete commitment to fair, balanced and reasonable
law enforcement and public safety initiatives.
We stand for protecting the rights of all residents and guests of the
Town of Darien that are guaranteed by both the State of Connecticut and United
States Constitutions. Anything less is
not acceptable to the Administration of this Department, nor should it be
acceptable to you. Do we always get it
exactly right? No, we don’t. But when we
are confronted with an issue, we identify the cause of it, we fix it, and we
make it right if at all possible, even if it is difficult, time consuming or
perhaps even embarrassing. I am proud that the Darien Police Department, your Darien Police Department, is made
up of highly trained, well-educated and fully engaged professional public
safety officers and staff. Consistent
and ongoing positive community involvement, engagement and commitment,
established well before any issues arise, remains a hallmark of our
agency.
On Sunday, May 31, 2020, the
clergy of our town organized a march through our downtown during the mid-day
hours. I would like to personally take
this opportunity to thank each and every participant who remained peaceful and
safe while engaging in their protected rights of both peaceable assembly and
protest. This should be the model all other groups should look to emulate.
Our nation has thousands upon
thousands of professional police officers who do the right thing, at the right
time, for the right reasons. For the
vast majority, dedication to duty is not for fame or glory, but is simply the
calling of a professional public servant.
Those officers operating outside of training, basic human decency and
professional conduct are in the vast minority. I heard it said recently that “no
one hates bad cops more than good cops.”
Hate has no place in policing but the overall sentiment is sound. We
always strive to do our very best and I am exceedingly proud of the service
that the officers of the Darien Police Department provide to our community each
and every day.
Donald
B. Anderson
Chief
of Police