A Message from Chief Jarod J. Towers

A Message from Chief Jarod J. Towers

 

I have become aware that a group in town is holding a prayer event for our Department and wanted to take this opportunity to say a few words to our community before this event.

 

It is my understanding that this group is gathering at Legion Park, tomorrow, April 17th, to focus prayers on the Cheverly Police Department.

 

Being a police officer can be a dangerous job and we always appreciate the community thinking about us as we focus on keeping them safe. Just like any person, officers want to be able to go home at the end of the day. Orhan would like to tuck his children into bed or be there when they wake. Courtland would like to watch his family grow. Andrew would like to get married and raise a family.

 

I write to all those who attend to ask you to focus your prayers beyond the members of the Cheverly Police Department, to our communities, because they are suffering.

 

A public health emergency has ripped loved ones out of our arms and tested our humanity in so many ways.

 

The profession of policing has helped communities through this public health emergency. We have supported local ordinances to keep people socially distant, masked, and safe. We changed the way we interact with members of the community to minimize disease transmission. We focused on doing our part to help our vulnerable populations that became the most isolated during this emergency.

 

At the same time, a racial justice emergency has ripped loved ones out of our arms and tested our humanity in so many ways.

 

The profession of policing has not helped communities through this racial justice emergency. Our roots as a profession are born from the seed of white supremacy. And we have not cut deep enough to remove the rot and grow anew.

 

But we can, and we will. Like your prayers, every small action has a ripple effect capable of changing the course of history. So, while I lead a small group of officers, my commitment to their training, their growth, and this Department will matter. My commitment to this community is to keep integrity, fairness, and teamwork front and center for everything we do. Because every decision matters, from the way we approach every day traffic safety, to the way we train for the worst case scenarios. We must earn trust with the community in each decision because some, in our profession, continue to break that trust over and over again. As you have come to expect, the Cheverly Police Department will continue to demonstrate its commitment to protecting the dignity of all people and the sanctity of human life. I am confident that our officers represent Cheverly’s values in everything they do, because we share those values too.

 

So, I ask you to focus your prayers on this department to give us strength to make good decisions, embrace change, and confront difficult conversations with open ears and humble grace. Focus your prayers on the families and communities across the country that have been directly impacted by the broken trust that police have caused. Give them strength as they grieve and confront difficult conversations with open ears and humble grace. Focus your prayers on our shared humanity as a reminder that despite our differences, we are all people worthy of love, compassion, care, and dignity.

 

Sincerely,

Colonel Jarod J. Towers

Chief of Police

Cheverly Police Department