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November 2, 2011

Thank You from Den 8 Cub Scout Pack 659!

NCT Letters: December 29, 2011

Deportation is illegal immigrant's fault

Re: "Father's deportation tears family apart," Dec. 29: Illegal immigrants need to take responsibility for their own actions. Too damn bad they get caught in their own web of deceit. The family (parents, children and spouses) need to blame the correct person. That person is the illegal immigrant. They all know the law and that they are breaking it. It is not our fault their relative was deported again. I am sick and tired of the illegal immigrants blaming law enforcement for doing the job we hired them to do.

Don't give me grief about being biased or a racist. We have family members in our family who are born and raised here and are of Spanish ancestry. Even they are against the illegal immigrants. Their family ancestors, like ours, came to this country the correct way, legally.

Kudos to our wonderful police, Border Patrol and the ICE personnel. Their job is a difficult one. I am glad we have them to do that job. I support our law enforcement, even when some in our government don't.

Happy New Year. Keep up the good work, law enforcement personnel. Keep safe and thank you for keeping my family safe.

Cheryl Falk
Escondido

NCT Letters: August 24, 2011

Cutting officer benefits could be costlier

I've read several recent articles about the city of Escondido reducing police salaries or benefits. Any of our city officials who are in support of this are being short-sighted and are not considering the long-range repercussions. Several conditions surface when this occurs:

Most important is a reduction in the quality of applicants. This has several negative ramifications. The less-qualified officers bring with them a less-professional demeanor, resulting in increased citizen complaints and potentially expensive lawsuits. Officers who choose to remain with the department are forced to work with newer, less-qualified officers who somehow fail to adapt to the level of training and professional standards in place. This creates a substantial danger to veteran officers. This also motivates safety-conscious veterans to look elsewhere, thereby creating a void in police personnel.

By reducing benefits, there is always a reduction in the number of experienced officers transferring from other police agencies. This equates to spending thousands of dollars to put rookies through the required training programs instead of obtaining well-trained officers who have already completed a police academy.

Saving money by reducing police officers' benefits actually ends up costing much more than what the city was planning to save.

Orv Hale
Escondido

NCT Letters: August 24, 2011

EPD deserves a pat on the back

On a weekly basis, the Escondido Police Department continues to be the subject of letters to the editor critical of the department's efforts to make the streets safe, not only for the residents of Escondido, but the rest of us North County residents as well. It appears that many would prefer to allow drunk drivers, those without insurance and those with suspended licenses to continue on their merry way, putting the rest of us and our families at risk.

It should be noted that a brief reported the arrest of two persons for drunk driving, 19 for driving without a license and four persons driving without insurance ("Two arrested, 18 vehicles impounded during checkpoint," Aug. 16). It should also be noted that near that brief was the story of a motorcyclist who was killed as the result of a crash after being hit by a drunk driver ("Motorcyclist killed in crash").

Could it be that the traffic checkpoints conducted by the Escondido Police Department actually save lives? People whose driver's licenses are suspended are suspended for a reason, which can be for a DUI, too many speeding tickets, etc. How do we know that the people driving without a license really know the rules of the road? Or perhaps they failed their driving test, which the rest of us are required to pass.

The Escondido Police Department deserves a pat on the back for keeping us safe from those who fail to observe the rule of law.

James Biers
Encinitas

From Dolores of Escondido: August 18, 2011

Cutting police salaries would be a mistake

The Escondido City Council has cut funding to many things the citizens of Escondido like, but we understand the limitations of our budget. However, when Mayor Abed includes a plan to decrease salaries and benefits for our police force, I know that would be a mistake.

We would not want our brain surgeons to be run of the mill or average, and the men and women who could certainly have our lives in their hands are equally important. We need to attract and retain people who are physically strong and fit and mentally superior.

When asking them to risk their lives, we must at least assure them the ability to support their family better than they would with a "safe" career.

Dolores Christensen
Escondido

From Jim of Valley Center: August 17, 2011

Officers are still part of your community

While attending the Escondido Police Association's town hall meeting, several citizens were demanding to know how many Escondido officers lived in the city. A recent letter by Khristina Kerekes-Martin reiterated that request, with the clear inference being that officers who don't live in the city are not part of the community (Aug. 12). Utterly ridiculous!

I served the citizens of Carlsbad of 25 years as a police officer, giving my blood, sweat and tears to make that community better and safer. Guess what? Most of that time, I lived in Vista, where I coached T-ball and basketball, led Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, attended church and raised my family. I was able to serve two communities, one professionally and the other personally, and I would like to think that both were a little better for my efforts.

Martin's letter was printed the same day that San Diego officer Jeremy Henwood was buried, gunned down in the line of duty. Would his service to his citizens be less worthwhile if he lived in La Mesa? Would his ultimate sacrifice be somehow diminished if it turned out he lived in El Cajon?

Officers live where they live for a number of reasons, and I would be happy to provide the answer that the all-too-polite POA president couldn't. Where do officers live? It's none of your damn business.

Jim Byler
Valley Center

August.2011
A Letter from Marcy of Escondido

From Elliot of Escondido: August 10, 2011

Police union says pay cuts could increase crime
Re: "Police union says pay cuts could increase crime," Aug. 10: The Escondido City Council is playing Russian roulette with the safety of its citizens by proposing to cut the salaries and pensions of its police officers. Escondido needs to continue to attract the best and brightest law enforcement personnel available. Only by remaining competitive with other cities can Escondido maintain a top-notch police force.

In my neighborhood and throughout Escondido, the police have demonstrated dedication and service second to none. Any reduction in pay or benefits for these brave public servants should be off the table. To those who persist in criticizing Police Chief Jim Maher and the city's police, I would suggest that the next time they need help, they call a gang member.

Elliot Becker
Escondido