The notion of a police department rests on the premise of “protect and serve” all citizens. Unfortunately, there are bad cops who are more interested in bullying, intimidating, harassing, assaulting and, yes, killing, than in providing law and order.
These bad cops have for too long been able to hide behind policies which encourage police to serve each other first and the community second. This discredits good cops and undermines the faith that the public needs to have in their police.
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We need to shine a light on bad cops with a registry to protect the public from those who would abuse the badge. Such a registry would allow the public to see complaints against officers, how many complaints were filed, and how they were resolved. It also would allow police human resources departments to identify and refuse employment to bad cops.
There are certainly logistical and legal issues, but we were able to overcome these issues to protect our communities from sexual predators with a registry. It is time to protect our communities from predatory cops.
Edward Rutledge, Lemont
Liquor to go is a bad idea
I can’t believe a public official calling for cocktails-to-go. The purchaser more than likely won’t wait to open and consume their cocktail till they get home.
Public officials will be opening up Pandora’s Box if this passes. We have enough DUIs and people being hurt or killed by intoxicated drivers.
Officials are worried about revenue. Come on — how about trying something different and using common sense?
Rita Ordzowialy, Cicero
The NFL’s obligation to Kaepernick
If National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell is sincere in admitting that he, the league and its owners were wrong in condemning Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee to protest anti-black police treatment, when will he publicly apologize to Kaepernick, face to face, now that George Floyd’s death has proven the validity of Kaepernick’s stand for the world to see?
When will he welcome Kaepernick back into the league he was banished from?
Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional, First Amendment right to express his grievance against unfair institutionalized harm. He was not, as the NFL characterized him at the time, anti-patriotic — an accusation that amounted to slander.
Ted Z. Manuel, Hyde Park
Check out a book, Chicago
My favorite place, the Chicago Public Library’s main Harold Washington Library, is open! Clean, organized, nice staff.
Go get a book, Chicagoans, and read. Books rock.
Felicia Carparelli, New East Side
