In regards to Mr. Tony Puma’s letter (“Why so many officers with a low crime rate?,” April 17) about why the island has so many police officers on staff, I think it is important to point out the error in his apparently poorly researched letter.

The Bainbridge Island Police Department currently has 20 commissioned police officers on staff, not the 29 he references. This number includes the deputy (interim) chief, detectives and supervisory staff. Only 12 of these 20 are actually patrol officers.

If I was going to go public with a diatribe about having too many overpaid, under orked cops in my city, I would probably start by making sure the basis of my argument was not 32 percent off. If one wonders how I came up with my count, it was easy. I got a department roster and counted.

D.R. Corn

Kitsap County