Bring back peace of Spokane

Spokane is tranquil. Our neighborhoods have historic craftsmen homes with stately tree-lined streets and manicured lawns. We pride ourselves on our quality of life. Why do “I always feel like somebody’s watching me, and I have no privacy?” (Michael Jackson, 1984) Have you heard the sheriff’s helicopter doing circles over Spokane, panning residences with an infrared beam like an Unidentified Flying Object close encounter? Welcome to Spokane’s new and improved “police state.” Apparently barbecuing in your backyard or playing with your kids entails no reasonable expectation of peace from the cacophony of warfare equipment at 500 feet. Whether it is a cop on every corner, Photo Red cameras (ruled unconstitutional), travel security scans, or “Air One” helicopters, powerful surveillance disturbs the peace and infringes the rights of law-abiding citizens. What is the cost of this Los Angeles/Northern Ireland-style policing to rights to enjoy private property? Heart Flight helicopters fly at higher altitudes and discernible routes. Is it really reducing major crimes from drugs to burglaries? Then the police ombudsman, not the beleaguered Spokane Police Department, can show us the statistics. Bring back the peace of Spokane in the real year of 1984.

Mike Kraft

Spokane