LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
City’s team policing should grow
7/10/2013Congratulations to Toledo Police Chief Derrick Diggs for launching the Team Policing program in Toledo (“Downtown safety a team effort; Police officer and sheriff’s deputy will patrol together,” July 4).
The new Team Policing unit is an excellent way to deter crime and engage people who live and work in downtown Toledo. Chief Diggs has done a nice job of blending new ideas and technology, such as crime-fighting cameras, with old-school concepts of shoes on the pavement.
The City of Toledo needs to come up with new ideas for fighting crime. Unfortunately, many people who live and work in Toledo do not feel safe when they leave their homes or place of business. I have a feeling that Chinese, German, and Japanese investors know this.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were team policing units in every neighborhood in Toledo? The city should hire 200 police officers and make it happen.
GEORGE WEIDNER
Barrows Street
Remove cameras, hire more officers
Instead of hiring an out-of-state company to operate traffic cameras, Toledo officials should remove the cameras and hire more police officers and station them where the cameras were (“House votes to unplug red-light cameras in Ohio; Senate vote likely in autumn; Toledo could lose millions,” June 27).
The presence of these officers will slow violators down. Is the city interested in preventing accidents, or collecting the money from fines?
KEN KONOFF
Temperance
Cameras provide measure of safety
Toledo does not have a budget big enough to police many areas of the city. Traffic cameras help the police and make money for the city, while allowing the use of police officers for other protective services.
Anytime someone disobeys a traffic law, there is the chance of an accident and someone getting injured or killed. Why do people want to do away with the cameras for the sake of lawbreakers?
SHIRLEY MORAN
Wendover Drive
Keep cameras, use fines for roads
Red-light cameras should not be banned. Instead, the state should allow cities, counties, and townships to keep half of the fines.
The other half should be lumped with funds from the current Ohio gasoline tax. There would be more money for road work and maintenance without raising the gasoline tax.
PATRICK NG
Bowling Green
Good thing about libertarians
In response to the July 1 Reader’s Forum letter “Libertarians don’t want to run nation,” I say: Thank God.
JAMIE BLACK
Loudonville, Ohio