Authorities haven’t earned trust

On Sept. 12 an S-R editorial asserted that, “For their part, citizens need to suspend preconceived ideas and reach conclusions based on facts.”

There have been ample facts during recent years to establish an ongoing and unabated pattern of police violence against us citizens, which supports our questioning the legitimacy of law enforcement authority.

The reason that law enforcement officers are generally not trusted is that not one of them has taken a public stand against the ongoing terrorizing of us citizens by their colleagues. Everything has a cost – maintaining a code of silence costs all police officers the trust and respect of us citizens. If one wants respect one must earn it, and the way toward earning us citizens’ respect is clear.

What we need is direct citizen review of any and all police use of lethal or potentially lethal force against any citizen any time. I have a criminal justice background and have worked in jurisdictions where citizen review drew law enforcement and citizens together into mutually trusting communities. This is my hope for our community and I am saddened that Sunday’s editorial moves us away from rather than toward the transparency needed for our collective healing.

Ed Byrnes

Spokane