WHAT AUDACITY

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the letter to the
editor from Pat Skidmore of New Market ("Stop posing as prostitutes
and drug dealers," July 25). I would like to know what type person
has the audacity to criticize the police for doing their jobs.

First off I'd like to say that I am a police officer in Baltimore
City, where crime, although generally down, remains a hot topic. In
the city, prostitution breeds all sorts of ancillary crimes. Drugs
are commonplace for most prostitutes and we see an inordinate amount
of prostitutes overdose on drugs. Also, prostitutes (men and women)
will frequently assault their customers in order to get more money to
buy drugs. So now we have multiple other crimes. Then, prostitutes
often times loiter in front of businesses hindering their ability to
transact business. And in parts of Baltimore City, we see people stop
their cars to talk to prostitutes, thus creating a traffic hazard.

Drug dealers create some of the same hazards. They are territorial
and the resultant crime is fraught with victims. In housing areas
drug dealers create an atmosphere of crime through intimidation.
Notwithstanding big city examples, anywhere there is a demand for
drugs there will be crime. So are prostitution and drug dealing
scourges that should be addressed? Should we let anarchy rule? Of
course not. Why would anyone advocate the issues that Pat Skidmore
does?

Next, I want to know why we police officers lost her respect? For
doing our jobs? For taking a low-paying job with extraordinary risk
in order to try and maintain the quality of life in the community? We
don't go out and recruit people to come out to sting operations;
they're willing participants: They come to us. We don't see people
who are law abiding stopping by to solicit a prostitute or buy drugs.
These people are out being productive members of society as are we.

My last comment is that people like Pat Skidmore will belittle us,
malign us and write to newspapers about us, yet as soon as someone is
breaking into their home, or they're involved in an accident or a
family member is missing, let me take a guess: "Frederick County 911,
what is your emergency?"

Frederick County is quite privileged to have several quality law
enforcement agencies within its borders, and I know that my
colleagues do an excellent job in keeping drugs and prostitution in
check. I just hope that people realize this and don't take the
position of Pat Skidmore.

MICHAEL FINKELMAN
New Market