DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Police procedures and policies continue to be a top topic of conversation one year after the killing of George Floyd.
Delray Beach Police Chief Javaro Sims has spent 29 years on the force. He's been chief for two years, but he said the last year has been the toughest.
"It's nothing but disheartening to see something like that," Sims told WPTV last May.
Almost one year ago, WPTV spoke with Delray Beach Police Chief Javaro Sims shortly after the killing of George Floyd.
"It set law enforcement back," he said. "Law enforcement is broken from a cultural standpoint, so we have to look at those things and try to put measures in place to address them."
A year later, Sims said talking about the killing of George Floyd is critical.
"As the chief of police and as executives in law enforcement, it's incumbent upon us to continue to engage with our officers, to maintain their professionalism and educate them on what's taking place," Sims said.
But he said action is just as important.
"One of the most important policies that we put in place was our officer intervention policy," he explained. "Officers mandated to intervene under certain circumstances, or they would be held as accountable as the officer that's engaging in the act."
"What are some of those measures for transparency?" WPTV reporter Sabirah Rayford asked.
"During these times and during these circumstances, we have to continue to engage our community and not take a step back," Sims said. "Continue to move forward. Continue to foster and build those relationships. That's going to be so important, not only for the present, but for the future of this agency."
