Maintain Bell Police Department

By Janice (Leal) Bass

I would like to maintain our police as a viable department.

There is a lot of discussion about replacing our police department with the Sheriff's Department. If the idea is to reduce the number of officers on duty to a lower level, then Bell could do that and thus reduce the cost of the police department. Please realize that the dollars that we spend on the sheriff benefits the sheriff first and Bell second.

Many of us want to keep our the police department. The revelations of this past week about the police association are disappointing. Many thought that the police stood up to the corruption. But, again, we have been subjected to intimidation, inaccuracies and political rhetoric. We have helped many, and in return we receive disappointment.

I would still like to keep our police. A campaign free of personal attacks, pointed forward to the future indicating how our city can be specifically rebuilt is sorely needed. Planning to fix specific problems is a necessity. Within these two ideas, fixing Bell and the police can be accomplished.