Mr. Ford’s letter “Police shatter confidence” (Aug. 18) highlights what must be devastating to many of you who have this romantic notion that law enforcement is made of 100 percent honest individuals. This includes frequent guest opinion writer Jamie Tobias Neely.

Law enforcement, like any other slice of society, is just that: a slice. There are very good people; there are liars, thugs and thieves. And the Zehm and Creach cases highlight those who get away with killing, literally, in plain sight.

By the way, Ms. Neely, absolute shame on you to trivialize Mr. Creach’s death by stating that allowing someone to steal flowers would’ve prevented this incident. How any of you who have come out to support these individuals and their actions, while being shoveled loads of garbage from, who else, the keepers of these individuals, is simply mind-boggling.

This just puts an exclamation point behind the statement that the ombudsman should have individual powers to investigate, charge and prosecute these individuals when the facts support it.

That is, the real facts, not the contrived ones.

There are many upstanding officers, but there are several rogue ones too; don’t let badges and/or professions blind you to reality!

Thomas Peacock

Spokane