Editor:

Approximately 30 years ago, this city had 55 sworn police personnel. This applies both to police administration personnel and officers in the field. The city population at that time was 35,000 (please notice that these figures are a very close approximate and not exact).

We presently have a population which has doubled to 70,000 plus, however, the entire police force now only has 77 personnel. This is only a 72% increase for enforcing the law and protecting the people, therefore the patrol officer ratio is reduced by 28%.

Approximately seven years ago, Turlock provided itself with a new police station. This I am confident has made the police department better able to function more efficiently. However, where is the needed manpower on patrol duty? Why has the police protection ratio been permitted to decrease, while the city population increases?

City Council: This is not right and this is not responsible planning for our protection as the citizens of Turlock. Also, we need more police patrol power to reduce criminal activity.

I believe all of our city leaders need to evaluate what is the utmost priority of where the city budget money needs to go first. It should be to see that we get reasonable protection when we are going to the store, or when in our back yard or even just sitting inside of our home resting.

Also, when we have more patrol cars visibly on the street, drivers will take notice to not drive as carelessly or recklessly as we often see. Also, criminal activity should begin to lessen month by month and year by year. Wouldn’t it be very wonderful to be able to have a hope and desire for such results to take place in our city?

Please give thought to this question: When a patrol care calls for a back-up care during a crisis incident, how many patrol cars are at that same time still available to join in and assist should one, two or even three more crisis incidents occur at that very same time within our city? Whether we as individuals are financially well supplied or poor and living in a tent, we all need protection and that should be our prime concern for us all. We need more peace, so let us support our police!

Finally, our Turlock police officers are paid approximately 24% less than the national average.

— Joseph A. Silva