Beef up ombudsman role

Practice what you preach, Mary Verner. I recall attending a pre-election debate in which Ms. Verner promised that, if elected, public safety would be No. 1. Now I understand that she is preparing to hire a police ombudsman who will not have any power to make any difference at all.

We desperately need an ombudsman who will be able to conduct independent investigations and discipline officers who use excessive force and abuse the public.

Why should the taxpayers have to pay the salary to someone whose hands are tied? Change the job description, then do the hiring.

Spokane cannot afford to wait any longer to put into place what is necessary to hold the police accountable for their actions. No other citizen would have gotten away with what Jay Olsen did to Shonto Pete, nor what the officers did to Otto Zehm. These families deserve justice now and we need to protect our citizens from becoming tomorrow’s victims.

So, Mayor Verner, keep your word and keep the public safe by putting a leash on our out-of-control police officers now before Spokane is best known for the new reality series “Cops Gone Wild.”

Christy Anderson-Crosen

Ford, Wash.