In the aftermath of the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria delivered a message to SDPD officers through their radios.
"I wanted the officers to hear directly from me, that I recognize the vast majority of them do their work with great honor and dignity and they do it the way San Diegans would want them to do it, but I also wanted them to hear from me that that verdict was the correct verdict and to let it be known that we will have accountability," Mayor Gloria said.
He says he's in process of standing up the city's voter-approved commission on police practices and hopes that will add transparency and accountability to policing in the city. He says he is aware of his role as the leader of the city and the 11,000 city employees.
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"We have to continue this work, that this verdict is not sufficient for addressing the structural racism that black and brown Americans have experienced," he said.
He says in addition to the commission on police practices, he's also committed to looking to ensure that police have the right training to serve the city's diverse population.
"This problem has persisted because of silence. I have put forward a series of 11 reforms that I'd like to make to policing in our city and I think it was important for them to hear from me as the Mayor, my reaction to the verdict and my expectation of the department," Gloria said. "I have heard from individual officers that appreciated the check in, recognizing that this is a highly polarizing time and this is a time when we need leadership."
