POLICE 'SPA' RAIDS A WELCOME INITIATIVE

In response to the letter concerning the Greensboro Police Department's
recent spa stings ("Spa raids dramatize misplaced priorities," Nov. 19):
While N.S. Williams may think that these are valid points, it is quite
obvious that this person has never lived within direct proximity to one of
these "businesses."

"Spas" attract drug dealing, prostitutes and other unsavory traffic in and
around the residential neighborhoods that they border. We have lived
outside of several large cities in the United States, but have never seen a
city that would allow these places to exist near residential areas where
decent families own their homes and raise their children.

At least two of these spas that were busted were within walking distance of
two area colleges.

I say three cheers to the Greensboro Police Department, the detectives who
conducted the investigations and the subsequent busts, and the mayor and
City Council for finally opening their eyes to the needs of their constituency.

We don't need these "businesses" infecting our community. What we do need,
however, are more police officers on the force so that the other concerns
mentioned by Williams are dealt with. Too much city sprawl, too few police
officers.

Michael Wiley, Greensboro