MORE MONEY FOR POLICE? PLEASE.

(Editor's note: The following letter was provided by its author to Chatham
This Week for publication)

Dear Mayor Diane Gagner and members of council:

I'm writing in response to the story in the April 24 issue of Chatham This
Week, entitled: "If Residents Want More Policing - Let it be known."

We are letting it be known that we want more policing in Chatham-Kent. We
do not fully understand the politics or the budget process, but we do
understand the bottom line of the budget - no money for proactive policing
- - means police react instead of prevent.

More police presence will reduce the opportunity for criminal activity.
Extra drug enforcement will help get the poison off the street and away
from our kids, just to mention a few possibilities extra police dollars
could be used if they had it.

Has the community been asked if they would like more money spent on these
services? Or has it been left up to council to decide? Never have I heard
one complaint about spending our tax money on services that provide a safe
environment for all citizens. I've heard plenty of complaints about money
spent on the Capitol Theatre that the average person in our community will
not benefit from.

We don't look at taking an active role in a community as an embarrassment,
we believe that any community that has citizen involvement can only get
better, whether they have the same level of problems to deal with that East
Side Pride has had or not. If a community does not become involved, they
too could be looking out the door at the same problems that we were seeing
a year ago.

Please take this letter as a resounding YES. We want more money spent on
policing to continue to make all of Chatham-Kent a safe place to live for
all our citizens. We encourage everyone to write, call or email your
councillors and mayor to let them know that our safety does not have a
price. This is your community; let council know how you feel.

Marjorie Crew, East Side Pride