Mayor Talks About Community Inclusion Amid George Floyd Death Fallout

City of Wayzata Mayor Ken Willcox released the following statement regarding the death of George Floyd and having a community of inclusion.

Courtesy City of Wayzata

Like everyone else we were disgusted at the tragic killing of George Floyd last week. It has sparked universal expressions of grief, anger and sadness, and we share them all.

I would like to emphasize that the kind of excessive aggression seen in this incident is neither acceptable nor any part of the culture of the Wayzata police department. Our police are diligent and proactive in enforcing our laws and they treat everyone with respect and fairness regardless of race.

Under the exceptional leadership of Chief Risvold, the Wayzata police in partnership with other law enforcement agencies will continue taking the necessary precautions to ensure peace and safety in Wayzata.

We appreciate the cooperation of our residents in complying with the recent curfews. They were important to our policing efforts. On a positive note, there were no incidents in Wayzata this past week related to the unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The City of Wayzata is committed to taking further steps to ensure that we have an inclusive culture that values and serves all people. It is an effort that needs the support and participation of our entire community. Some of our residents have already stepped up to volunteer and provide resources to the people most affected by the destruction in Minneapolis. We are proud of Wayzata’s ongoing generosity and kindness, and we thank you all.

Going forward we are doing the following:

• We are continuing to emphasize to our City staff, including our public safety personnel, that the culture of our City remains one of respect and fairness to everyone.
• 
  We are in contact with officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul to determine how our community could be of most assistance.

I would like to extend particular thanks to the members of our police and fire departments. Our gratitude extends to the entire City staff. They have worked under unusual stress dealing with the challenges of both the coronavirus and civil unrest.

And finally, thank you to our residents for supporting our ongoing efforts to keep Wayzata a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment. 

Be well.

Ken Willcox
Mayor