A message from Shoreline Police Chief Ledford

Message from Chief Ledford

Dear Shoreline Community,

The actions and inaction of the Minneapolis, Minnesota police officers that caused the death of Mr. George Floyd do not reflect the values, training and de-escalation efforts used by the Shoreline Police Department. We are deeply saddened by what occurred on May 25th and expect our officers to be professional at all times. The actions that led to Mr. Floyd’s death are not acceptable and are against Shoreline’s policies, practices and values. Similar actions would not be tolerated in Shoreline and they should not be tolerated anywhere as an acceptable police response.

Shoreline Police follow the LEED Principles; Listen, Explain with Equity and Dignity. We do our best to use de-escalation techniques and try to avoid using force. In 2016 Shoreline developed the RADAR program, Response Awareness De-escalation and Referral. The program provides information for our officers on strategies that may help de-escalate police interactions with individuals.

The Shoreline Police Department knows we must continually work to gain and maintain the trust of the community. We strive to treat everyone in a fair and objective manner. We understand the frustration, fear and concerns of our community, especially members of our Black community. We share the same frustration and anger and will continue to work hard to build and maintain community trust, and treat all people, regardless of race, with equity, fairness and dignity. We commit to continuing to do our best every day by demonstrating our values through our actions.

The Shoreline command staff will continue to ensure Shoreline officers are trained in Crisis Intervention Training, De-escalation techniques and Implicit Bias training. The City Council has supported the proper training funds to ensure training is a priority for our department. Prominently displayed in our patrol operations room at the Shoreline police station is “We Protect with Courage – Serve with Compassion.” It’s a constant reminder of our values and the service that we provide to all people in the Shoreline community.

Sincerely,

Shawn Ledford
Police Chief
City of Shoreline