SHERIFF WAS RIGHT TO BAG ARREST CONTEST

Cash and prizes for the cop who makes the most collars can erode public
confidence in the judgment of law enforcement officers.

It's bad community relations for law enforcement when officers are seen to
be in an arrest-making contest.

That's why Lee County Sheriff Rod Shoap was right Thursday to rescind a
plan for giving a free fishing trip to the deputy who made the most arrests
this month.

Whether it was adverse public reaction to the program as it was originally
proposed or just a re-thinking of the policy, the sheriff did the right thing.

We understand that employers routinely use such incentives to boost
performance, and we commend the sheriff for caring about his employees'
morale and performance.

We certainly did not assume that every deputy would instantly rush out and
start arresting people willy-nilly for the sake of a fishing trip.

But law enforcement officers should be eagerly pursuing crime, which can be
different from eagerly looking for someone to arrest.

An incentive that pushes officers toward sheer numbers of collars could
affect their judgment in the wrong way.

And it could undercut the officers' credibility with the public.

That credibility is crucial. It is worked for -- and richly deserved -- by
the vast majority of the men and women out there protecting us.

Department officials say the incentive program this month will reward
officers who do the most to reduce a large backlog of warrants to be
served, which was the original intent. No problem there.