Open Letter to Detective Ed Troyer

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 Tuesday, August 11, 2020 - 11:35 Mrs. Kathryn Wright

Since in your campaign you have won almost 53% of the primary vote, you seem to be trending to assume the position of Peirce County Sheriff. In addition to local on going violence in Pierce County with the victims Manuel Ellis and Said Joquin (Video), I'm sending this news story about the recent incident in Colorado, although I'm sure you've seen it in the news. There is no question that there is racism in law enforcement. It has inherited that racism along with the concept of over-controlling Black people from Jim Crow and the KKK. As a result of the slow-motion killing of Mr. George Floyd by "the worst of the worst,” this over-controlling shocked the world. It was over the top in all things hateful and racist.

I have written all my representatives - local, state, and federal - to give them my thoughts on what we as a nation need to do to change our bad direction and awful reputation in dealing with Black citizens. I am writing you with the same message. 

If you assume office, I hope you will be able to retool your department and train those under your authority to reimagine public safety as being responsible to every Pierce County resident in every Pierce County community. All of us pay the taxes that fund public safety.

I recommend that you set a tone of respect for citizens - for all citizens - at the beginning of your tenure by looking into updated and innovative training for the deputies that imbeds in them some sense of personal responsibility for how they themselves and their fellow officers do their jobs, exactly what we didn't see with Derek Chauvin.

We don't want 'business as usual,’ because that necessarily translates to harm and/or death to Black citizens. These incidents happen so quickly and too often, and they are always punctuated by several in uniforms, standing around, looking like they have no idea what just happened nor what their clear duty is. That's a very bad optic, as illustrated again in the recent example in Colorado.

To be proactive is to be deliberately prepared.

Mrs. Kathryn Wright

Pierce County Resident