Page column spins NYPD situation

By John Stites, Henderson

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Clarence Page’s column “Support police, fight bad policing” (Las Vegas Sun, Jan. 2) spins the circumstances of the tense situation between New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York Police Department.

Page’s description of the suspect who murdered Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos as “mentally disturbed” would be laughable in another situation. He was simply a vicious criminal.

To compare the officers turning their backs on the mayor to soldiers turning their back on President Barack Obama is ludicrous considering soldiers are regulated by military justice and have relinquished their constitutional rights to their leaders. Had soldiers turned their backs upon the president, discipline would have followed. Police still have the rights of a citizen.

Blaming Police Commissioner William Bratton’s “broken windows” enforcement policy for “stop and frisk” misrepresents the fact that police policies and laws are written or motivated by politicians, so they deserve part of the blame for any mishap.

Most people become cops to protect the people. I did, for 29 years. Then we find out politicians long ago determined police were great tools to collect revenue for politicians to spend.

Page’s reference to the killing of police officers declining compared to decades ago is true. But compared to last year, deaths of officers by firearms have increased 56 percent, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. So former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s criticism of the anti-police conduct of Obama, Eric Holder, de Blasio and Al Sharpton may have substance, wouldn’t you say?