A Message from Chief Matthew McCaffrey

Dear Novato Community,

In addressing the community we serve here in Novato, I would like to include the employees of the Novato Police Department. Feelings of disbelief, anger and sadness have surfaced across the nation and I share those feelings. At the Novato Police Department, our focus has been to build trust within our beautiful community and I worry that this horrific incident, which happened 2000 miles away, could possibly erode some of that trust here.

In times like these, I revert back to the motto “Think Globally, Act Locally” when acting as a leader in a law enforcement agency. So, while I think and feel globally, my job is to make sure:

• That the men and women I lead continue to act as caretakers for our community.
• That I make sure they receive the best cultural diversity, De-escalation and Use of Force training available.
• That I promote supervisors that will hold our officers accountable.
• That we hire officers that are emotionally and ethically strong and will not stand by, but intervene as required by policy, when they see excessive force or some other unethical behavior.
• That as a department, we will prevent the type of incident that has occurred in Minnesota and other parts of this country, from happening here.

My staff and I will continue to act in ways that encompass Integrity, Courage, Respect, Humility, Commitment and Truth. Preserving the sanctity of human life remains our core value in serving our Novato Community and honoring our nation as a whole. Together, we will create a stronger tomorrow and a safer community. Thank you for your continued support during this challenging  time.

Sincerely,
Matthew McCaffrey