Antioch Police Chief Issues Open Letter to Community

On Thursday, Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford issued the following open letter to the residents of Antioch.

The letter comes after  Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe held a press conference regarding a new in investigation which has resulted in several officers being placed on leave. Thorpe did not get into the new investigation amid a report by the East Bay Times and said prior to the press conference he had not spoken with the police chief or knew police staffing levels or patrol numbers. This investigation is separate from the FBI investigation announced last March.

Here is the chiefs letter:

An Open Letter to the Antioch Community,

I write this letter to acknowledge the recent series of events pertaining to our members. Admittedly this is a very unfortunate situation, however I urge that our members’ due process be respected, and they are not tried in the court of public opinion. Important to note, as an organization we always strive to be of service and engage in fair and impartial policing practices.

Moving forward we will continue to be responsive to the community, be intentional about being accessible, and will adhere to procedural justice centered policing plans and strategies. We have recently instituted many new policies, procedures, and best practices which support our premise of transparency and consistency, and we look forward to serving this great community. One of the things we’re most proud of is our current engagement with Public Safety Partnerships through the Department of Justice. This plan will codify what we’re calling our “Public Safety Network” whereby we will partner with a host of internal and external community-based resources to anchor a city- wide approach to public safety. 

In support of these efforts, our Community Engagement Unit (CEU) was established. The mission of the CEU is to prioritize the principles of 21st century policing models by developing meaningful partnerships with our community. The CEU will listen to the community, foster new relationships, and strengthen old ones.

In the coming weeks we have many plans and programs forthcoming, one of which is an APD Open House. This will be publicized shortly, and we look forward to seeing our city residents and visitors present and engaging with our members.
Additionally, we have signed on to the 30×30 Pledge – a focused effort to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement. The 30×30 Initiative helps policing agencies assess the current state of a department regarding gender equity, identify factors that may be driving any disparities and develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in policing. These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency culture.

Dr. Steven A. Ford
Chief of Police

Here is the Mayors Press Confernce