Letter to the Editor
January 7, 2003

Lack of safety shows poor law enforcement tactics

January 7, 2003 — While downtown Chico Friday night, I heard the sound of a high-speed race. The race was the pursuit by the Chico Police Department of a suspected stolen car. The pursuit encouraged and actualized a very hazardous car wreck.

Standard law enforcement protocol and civilian logic would deem the need to be professional, safe, slow down, confine and then control the incident, so as to not threaten the lives of officers or innocent civilians. This was unprofessional, unsafe, redneck and showed poor law enforcement tactics, not a surprise to those that monitor the four law enforcement agencies within Chico city limits.

Law enforcement shields itself with their badge of authority. No matter what happens, blame the unauthorized. Some liability should be accepted here. It is an embarrassment and, sad to say, this is Chico's best. Over aggression will (did) cause death and/or injury of civilian life and property. This is analogous to collateral damage of war, and the United States' use of self-proclaimed "authority" on the global scale.

-- Scott Love, Chico