Disgusted With Police Bashing

I read with disgust another police-bashing letter to the editor, this one from Jesse Sours. The last round of police bashing letters appeared some time ago in your paper, regarding where the officers parked in the neighborhoods and other trivial gripes.

Although I do agree with the writer in that police have no authorization to exceed the speed limit, and this is a legitimate grievance, I wonder why he gripes about law enforcement officers sharing information while parked alongside each other, "wasting gas." So you will be better informed, the reason is that the vehicles, although very similar in appearance to civilian vehicles, are equipped with items that cause serious drain on the battery if the engine is not running. Computers, radar units, power inverters, flashlight chargers, radios and other police equipment constantly draw energy, and a few dollars in gas is better investment than many dollars in replacement batteries or a disabled police unit, that now cannot respond to calls for service because it won't start.

Police officers are tasked with many calls for service each shift and the public expects and deserves a prompt response time. I don't know if Mr. Sours actually measured the speed of the police vehicles or for that matter, has the necessary training and expertise to actually be able to accurately judge the speed of the vehicle, but I wonder what his motivation is to publicly criticize these men and women, who would lay their lives on the line to protect his.

I wonder if he would criticize their traveling speed or waste of fuel talking to each other if they were responding to an emergency regarding his family, or sharing critical information regarding a lost child, or a wanted, dangerous felon.

In case you're wondering, I am and have been a law enforcement officer since 1987. I have spent many hours in a patrol car, trying to negotiate traffic to get to someone who needs my help, safely and in a reasonable amount of time. Not every call is an emergency, but every call is important to someone, who is waiting for me to help them when possibly no one else can. I, like my colleagues, serve with pride and dedication, and it really amazes me when someone wants to bash one of us in the newspaper.

So the next time you see me on the side of the road with my car running, now you know why. The next time you see me headed somewhere, I am probably not headed to the doughnut shop. I might be headed to your house to help your family. Let's all hope I get there in time.

Brett Dowden
Avon Park