As Chief of Police of the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, with a 41-year career in law enforcement, I and every member of this Department are appalled and horrified by the violent actions of the police officers in the beating death of Tyre Nichols. We find the unacceptable and criminal acts of these officers to be in direct contrast with the values of policing and human decency. The tragic death of Mr. Nichols, at the hands of officers who were sworn to protect him, shocks the conscience.
In reviewing the recently released body-camera footage, there are several failures in key policing components that led to the tragic death of this young man. Specifically, lack of training and de-escalation techniques, no sense of duty to intervene, poor hiring standards, lack of supervision, and a culturally inept law enforcement organization.
I assure every member of our community that your police department is held to a higher standard. CBRPD is an Accredited Law Enforcement Agency which means our 200+ policies and procedures are continuously reviewed and practiced extending our agency accountability to the public. Every member of our Department has been trained in “Duty to Intervene.” There is a Supervisor on duty, every shift, 24/7. All sworn personnel are continuously trained in De-Escalation Techniques (to include state of the art Virtual Reality Simulators) and how to limit Use of Force. In 2022, the collective training for all personnel totaled 3,902 hours. All potential police officer candidates go through a stringent vetting process that includes criminal and financial background checks, interviewing friends and family, polygraph, health assessment, psychological examination, written/physical agility testing, and an Oral Board consisting of three or more Police Chiefs.
At its foundation, CBRPD believes in fair and impartial policing and has developed an internal culture of professionalism. We reaffirm our commitment to you that we will serve with integrity and a strong focus on respect and preserving the dignity of others.