Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Dear Editor: Police Essential

Dear Editor,

Did I read the article correctly that the town of Whitehall is considering cutting the hours of our law enforcement? I was under the impression that the main object of our law enforcement officers was to protect and serve the community of Whitehall and surrounding area, not generate revenue. I see our officers’ presence as a deterrent. Maybe that’s the reason they’ve not written many tickets. Their presence before and after school keeps our children safe. When my daughter and I were almost run down while walking to school by a person speeding out of an alley, I was thankful for the officer who responded so quickly and found the man who was responsible. When I chased an intruder out of our shop, the deputy was on his way back from Boulder and got there as quickly as he could. A highway patrol officer also showed up to help. This happened in broad daylight at 10 o’clock in the morning! I am thankful for our police presence. Not knowing if that man was just checking things out and would be back after dark, I saw a deputy patrolling the neighborhood that night. My daughter and I were home alone, as my husband had to be out of town for a couple of days. I was thankful for the extra patrols. I slept better that night just knowing they were around. I don’t know what the answers are for the budget. I am sure that everyone is doing their best to remedy the situation. But I don’t think that cutting our law enforcement is the answer.

Pati McLaughlin

Whitehall, MT

 

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