DEAR ABBY: Law enforcement officers and their actions have been and always will be targets for criticism, skepticism and controversy. Two of the most newsworthy topics involving law officers are the use of physical force and deadly force on criminals. It is easy for the general public or the media to second-guess what was right or wrong. They have hours or days to do it -- while an officer has only seconds. The stakes are high on the street. Hesitation or a wrong decision may very well cost an officer his/her life. This brings me to a recent letter you published:
"Wayne in Santa Rosa, Calif." said he thinks cops should carry tranquilizer guns instead of firearms. Well, Wayne, in our "Wild Kingdom," the animals -- a.k.a. car-jackers, armed robbers and drug dealers -- carry guns. REAL guns. And they do not hesitate to use them on innocent people, as well as on cops. The animals you see on "Wild Kingdom" are potentially dangerous because they are instinctively trying to protect their lives or the lives of their offspring. The "animals" we deal with are predators -- preying on innocent, honest citizens, and they are dangerous because they choose to be.
Abby, it's obvious that Wayne is ignorant of how violent these people can be, and how quickly a situation can turn on an officer in any given situation. I can only suggest that he get a job in law enforcement, because I'm sure his outlook on tranquilizer guns would change.
Law enforcement can always use good advice on how to improve. Most of us and our bosses welcome good advice. But tranquilizer guns? I'm 30 years old, have been a cop for eight years, and I thought I'd heard it all. -- CPL. DONALD PALLISER, ST. TAMMANY PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE, COVINGTON, LA.
DEAR CPL. PALLISER: Be patient. By the time you're ready to hang up your firearm, you'll have heard more.