NORFOLK, Va. — Editor's Note: This story has been adjusted to reflect what Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone meant in one of his quotes. A prior version referenced an image of Boone holding a Black Lives Matter sign as "the only time he had held the sign." Boone meant it was the first time an African American police chief had held the sign.
It's been one year since video of George Floyd's death sparked protests across Hampton Roads.
From Hampton to Virginia Beach to Norfolk, the movement turned the spotlight on police and demanded changes. Demonstrators challenged police departments for change and accountability.
"We are better today than we were yesterday, and I firmly believe we will be better tomorrow,” said Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew in a video released by the department Tuesday.
Last summer, several law enforcement leaders, including Chief Drew, joined demonstrators and engaged in conversation about the next steps.
Chief Drew said his department learned a lot, "but the biggest thing was our culture."
Since then, Drew said he emphasizes conversations regarding officers' "duty to intervene." He said department training has adjusted to make sure lower-ranked officers know it is OK and encouraged to confront higher rank officers when deemed necessary.
Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone said many of the suggested changes -- including bans on chokeholds, shooting at moving vehicles, and the duty to intervene -- were already in place prior to protests last year. He referenced recommendations for policing reform under Campaign Zero.
But the department is now in the developmental stages of a citizens review board, use of force dashboard, and Marcus Alert for mental health responses, he said.
“We’re not perfect and there are opportunities for us to better ourselves, and we embrace change because it is going to come whether we like it or not,” said Boone. “And right now the citizens of Norfolk, this state, and this country want change.”
Chief Boone also recalled an image of him standing among demonstrators while holding a Black Lives Matter sign. He says it was the first time an African African police chief had ever held the sign.
“In that moment and that time, I had to recognize there are issues in this profession and this community, and I want to be authentic," he said.
“We have to continue passing legislation. We have to continue having dialogue with the police department and having conversations with ourselves," said Hampton NAACP president Gaylene Kanoyton.
Kanoyton applauds the passing of legislation on chokeholds and no-knock warrants, but still questions qualified immunity and the need for greater transparency and accountability.
“Many of us who have sons, we are still afraid. If we have children we are still afraid," she said, mentioning Floyd's death shined a light on police brutality for the world.
Boone said it is difficult right now to recruit police officers, calling it the most challenging time in his 31-year career. He cites a "national narrative" around policing.
“But we’ll recover. We always have,” he said.
Boone said he hopes respect continues to grow between citizens and police, as the country moves forward.
“Citizens are craving respect and they deserve respect. But the women and men who wear this uniform every day, they deserve the same respect,” he said.
Chief Drew also implemented rules that if an officer witnesses a traumatic experience, the officer must see a department psychologist and then a second visit before coming back.