I feel safe while walking my daughter to and from school, while playing at Waluga Park with my two children, and while I am in my home. I owe this sense of safety in large part to the protection that our police force provides.
I also understand not all may feel this way. I was a public high school teacher in Baltimore when Freddie Gray Jr. was killed in 2015. I watched as Baltimore reacted in anguish to the news, and listened as my students shared their stories of brutalities they and their families had faced at the hands of the Baltimore City police.
Lake Oswego is not Baltimore, nor is it Minneapolis or Portland, yet our police force has still recognized the importance of self-reflection and reform where appropriate. I am so grateful for our Lake Oswego police, and I will continue to advocate for their funding and support.
