Letter to the editor: Who will come when we call? Even the best police officers are leaving Phoenix after the release of a damning DOJ report.
Arizona Republic
The Department of Justice report is another chop at the roots of policing in Phoenix.
As they say, “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone,” and we’re about to find out. Bad actors show up in every profession, but we don’t take down the whole profession of doctors or dentists for one.
The current fervor for taking down entire police departments for any single action by any single officer has terrifying consequences for the safety of communities and the lives of those sworn to protect them.
Who will choose policing — a career that requires confronting the worst of human actions daily?
Who’s going to sign on to address people at their most vulnerable and dangerous — while being spat on, taunted, vilified, and in which every split-second decision is second-guessed in the now daily society arm-chair rodeo?
Morale in the Phoenix PD, already low, plunges further with this ridiculous DOJ report. Every officer who can is getting out.
Who will replace them? Who’s coming to help any of us when we call?
We’d better hope the mayor, councilmembers and those trying to end policing have an immediate answer.
Lindsay Roberts, Scottsdale
Read DOJ report line by line
The Department of Justice took three years — three years — to generate their 126-page report to accuse the Phoenix Police Department of an organized, unreasonable use of force on citizens of Phoenix.
They produced this report now, not because it took this long to investigate, but to pick a time conducive to the DOJ to release it.
They first thought they could get away with trying to get the PD to sign an agreement for change, before they actually got to read the report, like they did with the Maricopa County sheriff.
Only Phoenix didn’t go for the bait. They wanted the DOJ to produce it. Now Phoenix can respond, line by line.
That’s how anyone who looks at this report needs to read it. Line by line.
For example, in the first use of deadly force depicted in the report, PD starts talking to an individual, then he produces the knife and starts to advance.
Officers taser the individual. That didn’t work, and he kept walking down the stairs with the knife. Do we expect officers to write those individuals, who want to “die by cop” a terse letter at this point?
DOJ is coloring with crayons.
Mark Williams, Phoenix
Phoenix could see more trash in streets
Regarding Phoenix’s upcoming bulk trash pickup changes, it appears a couple things have been overlooked in considering the change.
My observation over the years is that one sees scrappers picking up recyclable materials and reusable items out of the bulk piles, reducing the initial pile size. With no schedule of quarterly pickup areas to comb through, that will result in less recycled or reused and more trash in the dump.
Moving bulk to the street doesn’t mean the illegal dumping will move to the street. It likely will continue in alleys.
Who will pay to pick that up before it becomes a health and fire hazard as regular pickup will be on the street?
Lawrence Mack, Phoenix
Vote lawmakers out over the budget
What our current state “representatives” passed in the state budget is unconscionable! If we don’t vote them out, we only have ourselves to blame.
Facing a billion-dollar budget deficit, our representatives insist on protecting an unchecked universal school voucher program. It accounts for roughly half of the state’s budget deficit.
Meanwhile, the budget cut critical budget items from water infrastructure, highway funds and services for seniors, such as meal programs, as well as workforce programs, such as nursing programs.
All of this to protect the ESA program that transfers predominantly wealthy families private school tuition to we the taxpayers. Vote them out!
Nick Caruso, Phoenix
University of Arizona is a stellar program
The University of Arizona is a terrific asset for the city of Tucson, so it was great to see the recent ad from supporters of our premier state university.
Sometimes, it feels like we lose sight of the incredible accomplishments at UA while focusing on the short-term bumps in the road.
As a two-term trustee of the UA Foundation, I came away impressed with the job that President Robert C. Robbins has done.
I hope others took notice, too.
Carmen Bermudez, Tucson
The writer is retired chairman and CEO for Mission Management & Trust Co.
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