Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Chief Of Police Makes Final Decisions on the Three Tacoma Police Officers
“Tacoma Police Officers Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins, and Timothy Rankine have voluntarily agreed to separate from their positions with the Tacoma Police Department.
Meanwhile, except for a sustained finding regarding Officer Collins’ violation of the Tacoma Police Department’s policy on Courtesy, the Officers were cleared based on 2020 policies. The Use of Force policy in place in March of 2020 failed to serve the best interests of the police department or the community. However, because it was policy at the time, it guided my decisions announced today. That policy has since been superseded by a new policy. Additionally, the Tacoma Police Department is actively undergoing a comprehensive overhaul of its policies with support from Lexipol and the Community's Police Advisory Committee (CPAC). Currently, 30 policies have undergone revision, with 10 nearing completion, aligning with the overarching goal of a complete and thorough policy transformation to better serve the community and enhance law enforcement practices.
While acknowledging our incomplete achievement of reform goals in the past decade, the last two years have witnessed substantial efforts to revolutionize the Tacoma Police Department, placing a strong emphasis on fostering inclusivity and pride among all stakeholders. These strides are a result of a collective endeavor.
I acknowledge the detrimental impact of policing on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, extending both a personal and collective apology. My awareness of the historical context of policing includes acts of oppression, abuse, and dehumanization, all carried out under the color of law. Additionally, I recognize the atrocities spanning the last 30 years up to the present. I am committed to acknowledging and taking responsibility, adamantly refusing to condone or turn a blind eye to such heinous acts."
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