KEEP AN EYE ON POLICE

Re: the Dec. 22 article "SAPD loses appeal: Justice orders release of reports":

Congratulations for fighting for public access to police documents.

Accountability, which demands open records, is the cornerstone that
separates a police state from a democracy.

This is especially important in light of the questionable behavior of many
public officials. Also critical is the possible decline in the quality of
police.

An earlier Express-News editorial noted with alarm that a man was rejected
by a Connecticut police force because he scored too high on an intelligence
test.

We pay a severe price for needing enough police to arrest more people each
year for marijuana possession than for murder, rape and robbery combined.

As long as the drug war savages the criminal justice system, a heightened
vigilance will be needed to maintain liberty.

Thank you again for doing your part to maintain that vigilance.

— Jerry Epstein, president, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Houston