Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane, Chief of Police Alan Rodbell and City Manager Jim Thompson penned a message to the community yesterday on the city’s response to unrest, vandalism and looting at Scottsdale Fashion Square and other parts of downtown last weekend.
The communication comes as new George Floyd protests are planned this evening and Sunday at the mall and Old Town Scottsdale. Security fencing is being installed and glass windows are being boarded up at Fashion Square and other downtown businesses, restaurants, and art galleries.
Here is the communication from Lane, Thompson and Rodbell in full:
Scottsdale joins our nation in expressing outrage over the senseless death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis, and our compassion and support for his family and those left behind. With the officers responsible for his death being criminally charged, it is our hope that healing can now begin.
We add our voices to those calling for criminal justice reform, a critical step on this most important journey.
We share the community’s anger over the senseless attack on Scottsdale this past weekend. We denounce anyone who is taking the national movement demanding justice for George Floyd and for all people of color, and twisting it into an excuse for mindless destruction.
We are aware that some in our community have expressed frustration and a desire for a much stronger response. Others have expressed their appreciation about how we responded. We hear you and remain committed to further community dialogue.
During this weekend’s incident, there were no serious injuries to any citizens or police officers, which we consider the most important result of our actions. We deeply thank our law enforcement professionals from Scottsdale and neighboring communities who exhibited calm professionalism under extreme circumstances which were unlike any we had faced here before.
As we send this message, more than 20 people have been arrested or charged, and nearly $50,000 in stolen property has been recovered. Police continue to follow-up on evidence, tips and information in a commitment to bring those responsible for criminal acts to justice. More arrests will follow.
Volunteers immediately stepped forward to assist small businesses who bore the brunt of the damages – we thank them for reminding us how strong and caring our community is.
The Scottsdale Police Department has been an internationally accredited agency through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) since 1994, in which they voluntarily adhere and comply to more than 400 standards for best practices in policing and are reviewed annually.
A review of our tactics and policies for responding to incidents like those that occurred Saturday is in progress. Scottsdale Police and the city’s entire emergency response team (augmented with regional, state and federal resources) are better prepared for another incident.
A complete review of how we handled this incident will follow, once the danger has passed, and we will learn from this experience to better serve Scottsdale moving forward.
Whatever the future may bring, we remain committed to our community, compassionate toward all we serve, with a deep optimistic conviction that Scottsdale will emerge better tomorrow than it is today.
W.J. “Jim” Lane – Mayor
Alan Rodbell – Chief of Police
Jim Thompson – City Manager
