Police should play by the same rules | LETTER TO THE EDITOR


April 30, 2012 · Updated 3:23 PM 

To the editor:

In your article about the police forum, you related the story of an officer who was “pounding the pavement” and returned to his vehicle to find a “nasty gram” reminder about time limits on downtown parking. Lieutenant Day described this as an example of getting it from both ends.

I was curious why he described downtown parking as being limited to two hours when it is actually three hours. It seems like a police officer of all people should know that.

I was also curious why a police officer pounding the pavement is different from any other employee or merchant who works downtown. A merchant can’t park all day in front of his or her store or shop and neither can downtown employees.

It seems to me that if the police are serious about community collaboration they could start by playing by the same rules as the rest of us.

If police are indeed exempt from parking restrictions it would be reasonable for the officers involved to politely point that out to the authors of any so-called “nasty grams.” That too would help with police-community relations.

MICHAEL SILVES

Fletcher Bay Road

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.