LAW ENFORCERS ARE HONORABLE

As the commander of Placer County's drug enforcement agency, the Placer
Special Investigation Unit, I take exception to the letter by Carol Colburn
(Journal letters, Nov. 22) concerning her generalization that criminal
justice corruption through "drug money" is a widespread and commonplace
occurrence.

In my 30 years as a narcotic enforcement agent I have worked with hundreds
of fine dedicated law enforcement officers throughout the state who put
their heart and soul into the job because they knew it was and is an
honorable profession, protecting and serving the citizens of their
communities. I can also recall instances when police officers have "gone
over to the dark side;" however, these are less than 1 percent of the
officers whom I have known or worked with.

Is drug money an inducement for law enforcement officers to go bad? Maybe,
but I believe that these officers would have "gone bad" anyway, this just
happened to be the assignment they were in when it occurred. Every
occupation has its "bad apples" -- doctors who defraud insurance, mechanics
who cheat their customers, salespersons who pocket money or merchandise or
clergy who commit adultery. Does this mean that every doctor, mechanic,
salesperson 'or clergy is bad, that the profession is bad'? No, it only
means that those individuals were. Whenever a law enforcement officer is
arrested and charged with a crime or dismissed from service for policy
violations it hurts all members of the profession. I cringe with the
thought of having to put up with another round of questions as to why cops
go bad.

I particularly disagree with her statement of "... seeing a lot of drug
money corruption among police, judges and the drug police (DEA) doing drug
raids. This is in my hometown of Auburn." I have worked all over northern
California and in my three-plus years with the Placer SIU I have been
impressed with the criminal justice system in Placer County. The judges,
sheriff, police chiefs and district attorney are honest, dedicated
professionals guiding their respective agencies into the 21st century. The
men and women under their commands are also dedicated professionals who, to
use an old cliche, put their lives and reputations on the line every time
they go to work. The men and women assigned to the Placer SIU believe in
the job that they are doing and respect themselves too much to violate the
trust of the people of Placer County. No amount of "drug money," what
little of it there is, is worth the risk of losing their reputations and
jobs. I am proud to be their supervisor and a member of the Placer County
law enforcement community.

I am concerned with Ms. Colburn's ability to be involved in situations in
Montana, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles where she was able to observe,
apparently firsthand, police corruption and to be involved with
"girlfriends and boyfriends" who were in the business of transporting drugs
"coast to coast." Her admiration of the mafia, "whom she met in Las Vegas,"
because "they would usually only kill their own in business" has me bothered.

Ms. Colburn, if you have evidence of police corruption in Placer County or
anywhere else in the State of California please contact California Attorney
General Bill Lockyer or the U.S. Attorney's Office. If you don't, please
keep your broad-based assumptions and innuendoes to yourself.