Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante released a statement regarding the murder of George Floyd, an African American man who was killed when Minneapolis police officers knelt on his neck and back for nearly nine minutes.
“We are facing challenges in law enforcement that we have never seen before. Martin Luther King stated, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ That quote sits on my desk and I look at it every day that I change my radio battery since becoming Chief in October of 2014,” said Chief Ferrante.
“We now have moved onto a phase of civil unrest in our country brought on by the heinous killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the generations of racism in this country that has brought about movements such as Black Lives Matter over the past decade.”
Ferrante said the conduct of the four officers involved, all of whom have now been charged with various offenses relating to his death, “is conduct that cannot be accepted by any officer in the United States,” calling their actions “flat out abuse of a handcuffed black man.”
“The tactic that was used by those officers is not part of any training taught in New Jersey and one that would never be tolerated in Hoboken,” said Ferrante further stating that “Minneapolis has also shown everything NOT to do in policing in the first week after that homicide.”
He said nights of protests have destroyed 170 businesses, most of which burnt to the ground, and included the destruction of the Minneapolis Police Precinct after it was looted.
“They decided to come in strong with hundreds of State Police and National Guardsman at 7 a.m. the following morning when no one was on the street, had one of their first arrests be one of a CNN Black reporter (not his white colleague who was next to him) and then stepped back again the following night and retreated,” said Ferrante.
“It is clear that the Minneapolis Police Dept. did not have positive relations with their community and it’s leaders, their elected officials or their media before last week because you see no collaboration whatsoever amongst those groups to help bring peace.”
He said New Jersey and the Hoboken Police Department are “much better” stating that the department has not had a civil suit filed against any officers for excessive use of force or racial influenced policing in over six years nor has a criminal complaint been filed against Hoboken Police Officers in the past six years.
“We strive to be better,” said Ferrante. “I strive to lead our department to police based on a principle of fairness and equality to everyone! We don’t police any groups whatsoever, as I direct our officers to police criminal and disorderly conduct.”
He said the police department aims to deescalate starting with a calm demeanor while ensuring that everyone is treated the same.
“We do not tolerate excessive use of force, and we do not tolerate racially biased policing,” said Ferrante. “My mission statement for the department is that we are to be community sensitive to every crime victim, resident, community leader, government official, member of the media, and our fellow brother and sister officers. We engage in as many community-building events as possible, even by doing that virtually during this pandemic, which has not yet ended.”
Of the protest planned on Friday at 1 p.m. at Maxwell Place Park, he said his command staff has worked to ensure a peaceful protest and peaceful day.
“The burden of the responsibility on me is to ensure that I direct our officers and the other agencies who will be assisting, to make certain we maintain a peaceful march,” said Ferrante who noted that while the department is prepared to work with the organizers for the protest’s duration, the HPD is also prepared to attempt to prevent or respond to “any negative situation that comes our way.”
“I, as well as all of my officers, have taken an oath to protect and serve, under the authority of the people, and that is exactly what I have done during my tenure and will continue to do Friday and beyond. I always tell our new officers and those being promoted to listen to their oaths as they say it, and to live by that.,” said Ferrante.
“We support those in New Jersey and Hoboken, as well as those around our nation, who want to protest peacefully against racism and police brutality, and I am committed to doing anything I can to help end racism and improve police-community relations and police tactics,” said Ferrante who urged everyone to stay safe, alert, and “watch out for one another.”
“Lets join to make positive change in our country,” he concluded.
