Fear of Lawsuits, Discrimination Charges
* Although I am proud to have served 20 years of my life as a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, I am sad to say much has changed.
Ever since the Rodney King incident, police officers are being forced to “lay back,” and they cannot possibly effectively perform their duties for fear of being charged with abuse and discrimination.
The vast majority of the men and women on the police force are forthright and dedicated public servants who have families to raise and must risk their lives to earn a living. Yet, I wholeheartedly agree with Gideon Kanner’s letter to the editor (May 8). I cannot see how forcing a doughnut shop to reduce its hours of operation or to hire security can serve any purpose except to force these businesses out of business or out of Los Angeles.
Citizens, legitimate businesses and security guards cannot and must not be expected to take on the role of the police. The only effective way to stop the crime epidemic is for the police to get out there and properly do their job without fear of being charged with discrimination, abuse and fabricated multimillion dollar lawsuits.
MOFFATT HAYS
Thousand Oaks
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