Statement following mass shooting in Buffalo

The mass shooting in Buffalo is another tragedy in the epidemic of gun violence that has become far too commonplace in the United States. We mourn the murders of the thirteen victims, eleven of whom were African American, and targeted by the shooter because of their race. The City of Salem condemns hate fueled crimes and white supremacist ideologies. As a community, we must be actively anti-racist. We stand with our community and with the Salem PD in condemning this act and the ideology behind it.   

We are addressing racism and bias in the City of Salem by taking action. This includes hiring a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Manager, putting together a Race Equity Commission, continuing to evaluate our policies through an inclusive lens, and ensuring our staff is trained on topics relating to DEI and unconscious bias. This is a start, but it is not enough. We understand that microaggressions, systemic racism, and hate crimes are some of the weapons used to preserve the status quo. We must be actively and radically aware of our actions and how they may consciously or unconsciously serve white supremacist ideologies. Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller addressed the shooting through a written statement, detailing Salem's police response, which can be read here.