June 19, 2020
As representatives of the Towns of Fraser and Winter Park, we are making this statement on behalf of our communities.
Fraser and Winter Park are inclusive communities where we celebrate diversity and value all residents and guests. We believe everyone deserves equality and the right to freedom from discrimination. While hateful and intolerant ideologies exist in our nation, they have absolutely no place in our community and we are committed to everyone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or political affiliation.
We are proud of our commitment to community policing and our long-standing Use of Force Policies that include: a ban on chokeholds and neck restraints, require de-escalation and crisis intervention training, require a use of force warning (when practicable), establish that physical force only be used as a last resort, establish a duty to intervene for all officers, strongly restrict shooting at moving vehicles, provide training for officers in the use of force continuum, and mandate use of force reporting and documentation.
The Fraser Winter Park Police Department was formed by two communities who came together to better serve their citizens. The philosophy of serving our citizens as guardians in a positive, respectful manner has been a core value of our department since its formation.
We welcome and support the right to peaceful protests against systemic racism, oppression, social injustice and inequity. We are committed to listen, learn and support respectful community dialogue. We ask our residents and visitors to share our values to ensure that all may enjoy the beauty and sanctity to be found in our community.
Sincerely,
Philip Vandernail, Fraser Mayor
Nick Kutrumbos, Winter Park Mayor
Glen Trainor, Police Chief
