given the state of things, i feel like he is implicitly addressing BLM when mentioning "protestors"
Perhaps so, but within the context of what he's talking about when he says that, his intent reads, to me, as trying to encourage them to follow in his footsteps to make change. His intent doesn't come off to me as telling protesters to stop protesting out of annoyance or hatred of the movement or whatever. Far from it. He is suggesting a way to change the system. That is exactly what he is and has been trying to do as chief of DPD since he took the position.