Letters to the editor | Sunday, April 4, 2021: A way to hold cops accountable
Another way to hold cops accountable
The recent ruling of firing the officer who killed Trevor Seever was the right decision by the MPD. I was surprised because many officers are exonerated. I watched the video three times and was appalled that the officer started shooting immediately without giving the man a chance to comply. There have to be procedures the department trains an officer to do in that situation, before a gun is used.
This officer must be held accountable. Police officers are public servants tasked to protect the public. My heart goes out to the family. It appears their son was in a state of distress. There needs to be strategies to address people in that condition that are not gun related.
This situation shows that our community needs a citizen review board with authority to oversee disciplinary process and provide the objective third eye on how these situations are resolved. This officer had four other shoots. The review board would partner with the department. Most officers are fine people and do a dangerous job well. For problem officers, citizen review is a good plan.
Carole Stark, Modesto
Law enforcement shouldn’t police itself
Cities across our country have or are seeking to have community oversight of their police departments. I think it’s time for Modesto to have civilian oversight of its police. Right now if you have a complaint against a police officer you have to go to the police station to file it. Many people feel intimidated to file a complaint there. A Police Civilian Review Board (PCRB) would allow the complaint to be filed with this board. It would build trust between police officers and the community they serve.
The recent killing of Trevor Seever by Modesto police officer Joseph Lamantia may not have happened if a PCRB had existed. Officer Lamantia had been involved in four shootings where deadly force was used. This is very unusual for a police officer to be involved in that many deadly shootings in their career. If a PCRB had been in place there is a possibility that this tragic killing wouldn’t have taken place.
Having a PCRB will foster transparency, accountability, and better relations between the police and the community they serve. We need civilian oversight of our police today.
John Lucas, Modesto
Public should help hire police chief
Re “Modesto hires search firm for $42K to help find a new police chief” (Front Page, April 1): I was happy to read in reporter Kevin Valine’s article that the city of Modesto is hiring an outside search team to do a nationwide recruitment for the next police chief. I was also pleased to read that this team will engage local representatives reflecting our community’s makeup in its recruitment process. I commend Modesto’s leadership for taking what I would term a more inclusive approach in filling this important position.
Dale Butler, Modesto
Support water projects
Many of us who drank a glass of water this morning or went to the tap to fill the coffee pot take for granted the complex system of water infrastructure that made those actions possible, not to mention growing the food that we need. And for decades none of us really had to think about it because it just worked. But the network of reservoirs, dams, canals, pipes and treatment plants delivering water to our farms, homes, and businesses is deteriorating rapidly and in desperate need of repair.
From the Klamath Basin in the north to the Imperial Valley in the south, federal, state, and local infrastructure delivers the water that grows our food. Without reliable infrastructure and local farm production, we are forced to rely on others to grow our food.
If the Biden-Harris administration is serious about its commitment to infrastructure as well as wanting to “Build Back Better,” it will make sure water projects are included in the plan. As a valley native, life-long resident, farmer and member of the ag community, water security is a prime consideration that must be addressed.
Mel Machado, Oakdale
Drive on with road work
Why did road improvements stop? The state and county are still collecting gas tax money, but I haven’t seen improvements since two years ago this summer. My newer neighborhood was unnecessarily slurry sealed, while many streets need to be completely repaved. They need more than just a paint job. Have you driven around Doctors Hospital and that neighborhood? It makes one feel like they’re off-roading. Out in the country on Carpenter Road, there are holes in the road; not pot holes, but big, deep holes.
So my question is why did the road improvements stop? When will these roads in desperate need of repair be finally and correctly fixed? Last year would have been a perfect time to complete these repair jobs with nearly no one on the road.
Mara A. Mullins, Modesto
Waterford mourns Jim Weaver
We were sad to hear of the passing of longtime Waterford resident Jim Weaver. Jim faithfully served the community of Waterford as both a city council member and a school board trustee, employing commonsense and rational thinking in doing the public’s business. As administrators and fellow public servants, we’ll always remember Jim for his abundant energy, positive attitude, and kindness toward everyone. These attributes and his sense of humor made the work a little easier for others and benefited our town greatly. It was a pleasure knowing and working with him; he’ll be sorely missed.
Jose Aldaco, Waterford mayor and Don Davis, superintendent, Waterford Unified School District
Fight American vote suppression
We are watching the Republican party assault Democracy in more than 40 states. They are saying it is to insure safe elections, which we all know is false. It is not just to suppress the votes of the minorities but in fact to eliminate any and all votes of anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, said in 1980, “I don’t want everybody to vote… Our leverage in elections goes up as the voting populace goes down.” And since that time Republicans have waged a concerted effort to suppress the vote instead of changing policy to include a wider range of people.
This is, make no mistake about it, an attack on our basic freedoms. Just as all dictatorships have done in the past, they eliminate all opposition voices. This is not just a return to the Jim Crow era but an attempt to install a despot, a strong man to rule and to eliminate the voice of the people.
Our democracy is on the edge of being a thing of the past or taking a giant step forward. We must not allow these voter suppression laws to stand. America is in the balance.
Charlie Lockett, Modesto