Law Enforcement Holds Conference to After Shooting of Baton Rouge Police Officers

A total of eight police officers were killed nationwide in the past few weeks in shootings against law enforcement.

Law enforcement officials from across San Diego County held a conference Monday, asking members of the public for support in wake of the Dallas and Baton Rouge attacks. 

The Law Enforcement Chiefs and Sheriff, County Supervisors, city council members, community members and the mayor met at The Fountain in Balboa Park Monday at 12 p.m. The spot is located at 1875 El Prado, near the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.

"We are saddened and horrified to see that another three of our fellow officers have been murdered by a senseless killer,” President Brian R. Marvel said, the President of the San Diego Police Officers Association, in a statement.

The San Diego County Chief’s and Sheriff Association implored residents of San Diego to maintain solidarity with law enforcement in light of the latest events.

"This is about coming together as one county. More violence, of course, will not heal these wounds. These wounds can only be healed through love and understanding," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said.

Violence aimed against police in Dallas and Baton Rouge killed eight law-enforcement officials in the past two weeks.

“Yesterday morning's shooting in Baton Rouge is a grave reminder of the dangers that peace officers face every day and we stand with our law enforcement brothers and sisters not just in Baton Rouge, but nationwide,” Marvel said.

Civil unrest and protests against police have spread across the nation, since white officers shot and killed Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge on July 5 and Philando Castile in Minnesota on July 6. A 12-year-old boy was also arrested last Friday in connection with a suspected plot to kill Louisiana police officers.

“Once again we see our fellow law enforcement officers shot and killed, first Dallas and now Baton Rouge. At the same time we have innocent people killed in Orlando, Turkey and Nice by uninformed, hate-filled mentally unstable individuals who have a warped view of the world,” Chief of Police in National City Manuel Rodriguez said in a statement.

The afternoon’s conference explained how local law enforcement is responding to the deaths of more officers and why it’s important for the community to show understanding and compassion.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Chief Shelley Zimmerman said she wanted to set the national model for police and community relations. She told NBC 7 that SDPD is taking precautions when it comes to protecting officers.

"We've been talking with our officers to make sure they're very vigilant, to make surt that they're very aware, and we have teamed up our officers, so they have a partner. And we realize what's going on across the country and we want to make sure everyone is safe," Zimmerman said.

“With so much tragedy it’s easy to forget the majority of our communities support us and count on us to protect them from these senseless acts of violence,” Rodriguez said.

But not everyone was on board with the unity conference.

"I'm not condoning any violence at all. What I'm saying is violence is invevitable. If you don't really sit down at the table, if you don't really sit down at the table with people, it's gonna get worse," Lincoln Park resident Dwayne Harvey said.

Harvey walked through the crowd, holding a sign that read "It's a Slave Revolt." He told NBC 7 that law enforcement is not understanding the concerns of the community.

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