Have you ever seen one person so interested in a police action as the Hopewell Councilman Wayne Walton? You would think he is again one of the good old boys after some far out agenda. I stood at the window and watched as the police cars went by. Fast, yes, but people on the road were pulling over for them. How do you stop crime unless you can get to it? Who knew that it was just a stolen auto?
To my way of thinking if you don't run you will not be chased. The runner was the one that created the hazard and to my way of thinking the police were doing what was necessary to stop the person before something bad did happen. Months ago at our house the police were after a stolen car from downtown and the stolen auto failed to make a turn and ended up running into my front porch. That officer was even that close to him. Criminals do stupid stuff and when they do isn't it the authority that starts the chain of events that hopefully reminds the criminals to think twice the next time before doing wrong? (And yes most likely there will be a next time). Our police, fire EMS and emergency workers are all trained to handle situations just like these. If we sit in our offices weeks later and second guess what they did and how they reacted in the second the action was needed, we defeat the chain of command set up to monitor them and the training system they have gone through. When I need help I don't want the public service worker to have to try to figure out if he is doing wrong by some individual's opinion, I want him or her to do what they have been trained for and to use the judgment that comes from training and experience.
My husband was on the road that day carrying our granddaughter to band practice. He saw four police cars coming at him as he drove. He pulled to the curb as did the ones in front and behind him. (He did not chase after them.) His comment was it had to be something big and when you see that many police cars you get out of their way. Later as he drove the child to practice my husband saw the pit maneuver completed by the police as he was on the same road. Again he said it was just like what he had seen on TV and had the same results: 1. stopping the vehicle before its driver hurt anyone 2. creating no damage to the citizen's property 3. using the training and experience they had to foil a crime 4. after a chase such as that all the participants get to go home or jail.
I thank the services workers of Hopewell. I know that as we have needed any of them , they have always performed with knowledge and fairness. Thanks to all of you who work for us.