Writer’s police views out of focus

Re: The Mailbag letter in the April 16 edition of the Daily Pilot,

“Police superiority isn’t helpful to Newport Beach.”

We were surprised at the reaction of a Newport Beach resident

toward the Police Department.

We do not think he really knows anything about the department in

our town. Why does he think the number of criminal offenses is so

low? Newport Beach’s police chief recruits the best of the applicants

to serve and protect. The standards in the department are high and

why shouldn’t we take the best?

When a police officer thinks he/she is making a routine/simple

stop for a broken taillight, expired tags, traffic [or] speed, he

never knows who is at the wheel? We do not know what feedback the

officer has received when he called in the plates. It is not a

frivolous action.

It is a potential situation that could put the officer’s life on

the line!

The presence of the bicycle patrol is much like Officer Murphy

walking through your neighborhood. They cover a large area, take the

time to talk to visitors and residents, but at the same time their

presence is a crime deterrent.

We hope that any civilian who would like to know more about the

Police Department enroll in the Citizens Police Academy (we were

graduates of class 11) -- a course that covers critical incidents,

dispatch, canine, car stops, range, juvenile/sex crimes, arrest and

control, traffic, SWAT, drunken driving, crime scene investigation,

narcotic enforcement, patrol ride along and much more.

This will give you a better understating of what they do on a

daily basis and why.

Those who join the academy will certainly appreciate the

commitment of the men/women in the Newport Beach Police Department.

Log on to www.nbpd.org for more information.

GAY WASSALL-KELLY AND

BILL KELLY

Newport Beach