An Asheville, North Carolina, police officer's resignation letter has struck a chord with the internet and has gone viral. What are th...
An Asheville, North Carolina, police officer's resignation letter has struck a chord with the internet and has gone viral.
What are the details?
Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times and highlighted by Faithwire, former Officer Justin Wilson announced his resignation after a decade on the force.
Wilson, a community resource officer for the past 10 years, said he decided to leave the force after it began to take a toll on his personal life.
Wilson's announcement comes amid a period of nationwide social unrest and escalating tensions between police and community members.
Wilson's resignation letter read, "I am resigning from APD. I'm headed out to Colorado to start a new career."
"Being a cop has been very difficult for me," the 10-year-veteran admitted. "It has taken a toll on my personal life. I cannot begin to explain the complexities of it to someone who has not been involved in it. I wish I could. I'm blessed to exit this job with only emotional scars."
Wilson said that he has regrets of not being able to better protect the citizens of Asheville.
"I truly wish I could have offered you more safety and protection," he wrote. "My time as a CRO has been a constant balance of defending APD, and acknowledging the shortfalls of APD. I tried my best to be transparent and honest with you all. I've come to the conclusion that APD is tasked with stopping societal issues, and disorder, but it is not within our capacity. We can only put a bandaid on these issues. Strong communities are the real remedy."
Wilson added that police officers at large need the support of their communities in order to function properly.
"After ten years at APD, I can say confidently that APD officers are good people with good hearts," he concluded. "Evil is real. Evil exists in Asheville, officers are surrounded by it, and they do their best with what they have. Please remember that."
Last week, the Citizen-Times reported that 31 Asheville Police officers have quit the force as of June 1.
What did the police chief say?
Of the massive departure, Chief David Zack said, "It's not unusual to see 15-20 in a year. But when you see the number that we just had in the last two months, that's unprecedented."
He added that the majority of the resignations were due to a lack of support and "very vocal" opposition to law enforcement amid inflamed police-community tensions.
Zack told the outlet that being a police officer "does take an emotional toll on you."
Of the retiring officers, Zack added, "They are just looking for other opportunities maybe in an area where their sacrifice and commitment would be more appreciated."
Zack said he expects even more officers to resign before the year is out.
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