Sorrow Over Temecula Deaths but Support for Border Patrol

Much has been made of the recent so-called “controversy” regarding the high-speed pursuit of illegal aliens who seek to evade capture.

I am troubled by The Times’ easy use of the word “controversy.” Does such a “controversy” actually exist? Has the result of some poll indicated that a significant number of Southern Californians oppose such a policy? Though we are all angered by the recent deaths of five innocents in Temecula, virtually everyone I know supports the Border Patrol’s policy.

The very small number of very loud opponents of this policy argue that these pursuits aren’t worth the risk because the (illegal immigrants) aren’t suspected of violent or serious crimes. If this is true, it is only because at the time of the chases, they haven’t yet had an opportunity to commit such crimes. In our area, (illegal immigrants) are responsible for a substantial portion of the property crimes and perhaps a majority of the narcotics crimes.

Even a Times article noted that “smugglers often show reckless disregard for safety, abandoning moving vehicles or forcing illegal immigrants to jump from cars during chases.”

To accept the argument of the policy’s opponents would be to say: “If you break the law and try to evade us, we’ll let you go.” We might as well take all vehicles away from law enforcement.

JAMES F. BACIN, Orange