The mayor of Decatur released a statement Thursday in response to the community's support of law enforcement and questions about nationwide racial tension.
Two officer-involved shootings last week and the deaths of five police officers in Texas resulted in protests in cities across the U.S., including Atlanta.
In both a written statement and a recorded video, Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett outlined steps the city and its police department has taken in recent years to increase transparency and avoid incidents of racial bias.
“The Decatur Police Department has just completed a three-year strategic plan,” Garrett said. “The core values of the department include approachability, integrity, adaptability, collaboration and empathy.”
She also explains that information about traffic stops is easily accessible by the public.
"Since Jan. 1, 2015 a quarterly demographic analysis of police-initiated stops has been posted to the city's website," Garrett said.
In addition to naming training programs officers have participated in and proclamations the city has signed, the mayor also turns to a moral and spiritual answer to the issue at hand.
“I appreciated the comments of a local clergy,” she said, “who on Sunday suggested we find someone who is different from us and simply listen to them.”
Watch her full statement below.
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