Public trust is the cornerstone of public safety and justice. Once again, that trust has been broken. Tyre Nichols’ murder, after a simple traffic stop, tells us that each city across our nation must do more to ensure that our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of equal treatment under the law, and a fundamental respect for life, especially for our black and brown community members who are continually disparately impacted by fatal encounters with law enforcement.

I applaud Chief Barnes’ commitment to 21st Century Policing ideals, establishing hiring and training practices, accountability systems and oversight necessary to help prevent tragedies like this from occurring. By making training in cultural competencies, procedural justice, racial bias, de-escalation, duty to intervene, defense and arrest foundational aspects of serving Madison through MPD we seek to earn public trust and ensure superior, safer outcomes.  Tyre Nichols’ family deserves justice. I join the family in calling for peaceful protest not only to grieve, but to bring about justice and change. Today we mourn and every day we work to do better.

United Way – 211 phone line
Mt Zion Baptist Church – Drop-in-clinics Anesis-Mt Zion mental health partnership
Briarpatch Youth Services – Parent support program
UW-Madison – University Health Services mental health unit
Madison Metropolitan School District – Mental health resource webpage
Employee Assistance Programs – Ask your employer about EAP services
County Behavioral Health Resource Center – Connect to mental health providers
National Crisis Hotline – Dial 988 to connect to this national service

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