A combination of officers from the Grayson Police Department, Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Olive Hill Police Department, Carter County Detention Center, Greenup County Detention Center, Carter County 911, Grayson Fire Department, Grayson Emergency Management, and the Grayson Street Department have been handling crowd control and related duties during the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in Grayson.
Given that the Black Lives Matter movement and protest is largely aimed at the nation’s police officers, Grayson’s Interim Police Chief Travis Steele said local law enforcement officers handling crowd duties last Sunday were reminded, “You can’t take it personally. It is not about you personally.”
Steele largely credited input from the Ashland Police Department, who have already experienced similar protest situations, as “an outstanding resource” for the local law enforcement team. “We took the Ashland Police Department’s plan and tweaked it,” he said.
“We managed to maintain order and allow both sides to exercise their constitutional rights. That was our mission for the day,” Steele said.
“It was an absolutely marvelous job by everyone involved, not just law enforcement,” Steele said, adding his appreciation of emergency management officials as well as street department crews.
Officers are often frustrated by protest chants including “I can’t breathe,” Steele noted.
Story and Photos by TIM PRESTON
Carter County Post