POLICE ERRORS CARRY A HIGH PRICE

Your March 15 article about a drug raid on the wrong house is typical of
the way more and more citizens are being treated by law enforcement
officers. Time after time we read about people's rights being violated by
organizations whose job is supposed to be to protect and to serve.

I realize that police officers are under a lot of pressure, and they feel
their safety comes first, ahead of any might-be criminal they want to
arrest. Do they realize their attitude is hampering the job they are
supposed to be doing? Why should we trust them when they treat us with
total contempt, are allowed to abuse us by actions that would be illegal if
they were done by anyone else, and then try to hide their mistakes by
saying they had just cause to suspect?

An officer of the law has it in his or her power to ruin a life, whether
justified or not. Even if a person is innocent, an arrest costs money for
making bond, hiring an attorney and taking time off from work, and causes
emotional damage.

Every time an officer of the law acts unprofessionally, loses his or her
temper, takes advantage of a bad situation, or harasses or mistreats a
person, police lose respect in the eyes of the public. I'm sure there are
good officers out there, but the bad ones breed mistrust for all.

There is no excuse for police brutality. If law enforcement agencies expect
their officers to be respected, they need to teach them to act in an
upright, respectable and responsible manner.

Judie Plumley Walls, Miss.