LAPD’s SIS

* In “Cloud Over Police Unit” (editorial, Sept. 7), we once again miss the big picture about the LAPD’s Special Investigations Section. The most recent statistics show us that a very small percentage of our population commits a great majority of the crime. SIS tracks and investigates the most dangerous, most elusive, most violent criminals--career criminals in the truest sense of the word.

The operating budget of the SIS is $2 million. Too high, you say? What about all the crimes and ensuing investigations, the victimization, the damage and loss of property, the tears, the broken families, the broken hearts, the dead police officers and the violence that these criminals cost you and me and our families?

The recent decrease in crime rates is no reason to begin disbanding successful programs. When shootings occur, it is standard procedure to conduct a thorough and often intrusive investigation, sometimes by the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office. If an unjust shooting occurs (the majority of SIS shootings are found to be justified), we have options to retrain, transfer, discipline or terminate officers. Let the SIS do its job.

MATTHEW BOGAARD

Pasadena