Keep police accountable? Your Say

A Paste BN editorial called for law enforcement to do a better job of reporting the number of civilians killed by police officers. Letter to the editor:

Paste BN's view on the justice system, "Track all civilian deaths at the hands of police: Our view," is not what a reliable news organization should print.

Thanks in part to the news media, police put on a target every day. It's called a uniform. A person has to wonder why any man or woman would want to serve and protect people with a criminal or mob mentality, and people who prey on others because they can.

Given the lack of moral responsibility among civilians to confront crime resulting in destruction and mayhem, the veneer of civilized behavior has been rubbed off in many areas of the country, and the police are the only group keeping chaos at bay.

Joanne Weckbacher; Burbank, Calif.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

To track deaths of civilians by police seems like a no-brainer. There should be reputable, outside monitoring and analysis.

— John Wigger

Make sure that the deaths are counted properly. The fact is that police often deal with people who abuse drugs, alcohol, tobacco and other vices. These have health consequences. You cannot say that all people who die in custody were killed by the police just because the police arrested and housed them.

— Hugh Jones

Many people have been quick to point out that Eric Garner was overweight and that the death might not have been from the chokehold. However, that argument promotes ducking of responsibility.

— Jen Kirley

If you attack a police officer, then you deserve what you get. But this doesn't mean I endorse police using deadly force as a first resort.

We've seen far too many instances of police shooting unarmed citizens.

If you can't arrest an unarmed citizen without shooting him or her, then you don't need to be a cop.

— John Rookwood

It's the police's job to "protect and serve." I understand the dangers that law enforcement officers face on a daily basis. But that gives them no right at all to kill an innocent citizen, and if not innocent, at least unarmed.

I greatly appreciate police, but the bad cops have made it tougher for people to trust the good ones. Just because police officers have badges doesn't make it OK for them to kill someone they think might be a criminal.

— Monica Branch