The following page is intended to provide information on Mukilteo PD’s policies and community response to questions around recent events regarding police training, use of force, reporting, and more. Below the letter from former Police Chief Cheol Kang, you will find links to this information. More information may be found on the Mukilteo PD homepage.
To our Mukilteo community,
The actions of the officers in Minneapolis do not reflect the patrol tactics, procedures, and policies that we employ here in Mukilteo. I have reviewed the video footage and sequence of events leading to Mr. Floyd’s death and I am appalled at the level of force used as well as the manner of which it was applied. That use of force coupled with the absence of action by the other officers to intercede would clearly violate our agency’s use of force policies. We emphasize a culture of respect and trust that is earned through every one of our professional interactions with our community which is re-enforced during all aspects of training. Our police department prioritizes de-escalation and crisis communications prior to any application of force. Further, we understand how important and necessary it is to employ only the minimum amount of force that is reasonable and necessary to achieve any lawful objective. The preservation of all human life is the foundation of policing and remains part of our department’s culture. This culture provides our agency with the community support and trust that is essential in allowing us to be successful in delivering “professional police service for and with the community.”
For reference, in 2018, the voters in the State of Washington approved Initiative 940. This law is now known as the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA). Our staff receives crisis communication and de-escalation training at the police academy and are required to receive annual refresher training on crisis intervention. Our police officers are currently conducting training on the actions of the officers in Minneapolis and reinforcing that it would not be in line with our agency’s policies, expectations and culture, and would be unacceptable here in Mukilteo.
I am asking our community to continue to judge us on the actions that we take here in the City of Mukilteo, and allow us to continue to earn and prove that we deserve your trust. There are so many positive and professional interactions with our officers that occur without fanfare or recognition. Our officers are a part of our community. Some may even be your neighbor, a member of the local PTO, and serve as coaches of local sports teams. We are all in this together, and my door is open to continue this conversation.
Sincerely,
Cheol Kang
Former Police Chief
Police Department Policy Manual (including Use of Force Policy)
