Opinion

Don’t take cops for granted

Posted January 21, 2011 12:00 am

This is an open letter to mayors, city managers, county board presidents and to all who employ police officers and who are now in the process of cutting their salaries and benefits and laying them off. Please read the following:

Cops on the take: They take the oath of office to serve and protect. They take your verbal abuse while giving you a ticket you really deserved. They take on criminals that prey on the public. They take time away from their families to keep you safe and protected. They take their lives in their hands daily to save yours. They take it in stride when people call them names. They take the graveyard shift without complaint because they know it is their turn. They take guns off the streets so you can sleep in a safe environment. They take time to go to court even if they worked all night so they can make sure the criminals will go to jail. They work holidays, weekends and nights, so you, the citizens, can have 24/7 police protection.

And if they live long enough, they can take retirement.

Politicians and elected officials on the take: They take police officers and citizens for granted. They take away “good faith bargaining.” They are trying to take away pensions and benefits. They are taking away the security of citizens by decreasing police protection. They are taking away police protection in schools by laying off police officers. They are taking away a quick response time for emergencies because of layoffs. They are taking away any chance we might have in a national emergency to survive because they are laying off police officers.

What if you called 911 and no one answered? The thin blue line of police is all we have separating the good from the bad. If that thin blue line breaks from lack of police power, then the criminals win the war on crime. Tell your representatives you are not in favor of jeopardizing your security due to less police protection.

I am the proud widow of a 38-year veteran police officer and the proud mother of a police officer with 22 years of experience.

Jan Schindlbeck

Batavia

Article Comments

Article Categories
Batavia Communities Counties Kane County Letters to the Editor Opinion

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.