PAINFUL LESSON IN EDINBURG

Once again, cold-blooded killers have shocked the Rio Grande Valley. Sadly,
violent crime is becoming common in this usually quiet part of South
Texas.During home invasions in Edinburg last weekend, six people were
gunned down, apparently in a drug-motivated attack.

The latest multiple slaying is as shocking as the one in nearby Donna in
September. Six barmaids were ambushed outside the mobile home where they lived.

In another case in November, two men beat another man to death outside an
Edinburg bar while dozens of people watched.

None of those cases has been solved.

What should particularly concern authorities is that the at least one of
the latest Edinburg killers reportedly posed as a police officer.

Edinburg police said that attacks by people wearing police apparel are on
the increase.

Law enforcement agencies must address this issue or their officers may not
be taken seriously when they respond to disturbance calls or attempt to
make arrests.

In Mexico, criminals commonly pose as police officers, and sometimes even
real police rob or attack innocent people. As a result, there's little or
no cooperation between many communities and law enforcement agencies.

South Texas doesn't need that. Police officers must have the trust of the
communities they serve.

To avoid the Mexican experience, Rio Grande Valley law enforcement agencies
must educate their communities about what to expect when police arrive
unexpectedly. Otherwise, a routine inquiry could turn violent.