LETTERS: STORY GAVE GOOD IMAGE TO POLICE

To the editor:

Officer Chris Muench recently received this letter from Lorie Peats of Jackson. After reading it, I felt you might also find it interesting.

Tony Hall did a good job on the story about Officer Muench. As a follow-up, we are going to invite Lorie for a ride-along and tour with Officer Muench.

Here is Lorie's letter:

"Dear Officer Muench,

"During Random Acts of Kindness Week, I couldn't help but notice the article about you on the front-page news. Very seldom are cops portrayed in a positive way such as this, which I truly think is a shame.

"Since most people have very little contact with the police, attitudes toward cops are mostly formed through what the public sees or reads in the news, and if what they see or read is negative, what results is anything from apathy to hatred toward cops.

"In all honesty, I am one of those people who, because of the media and my own negative experiences with cops, have feelings of anger, resentment, diminished respect and fear of you guys. I don't like having those feelings, so I am trying to change my attitudes by talking with some of the Jackson officers, hoping that if I get to know some comps as people, get my questions answered and try to see things from a cop's point of view, then maybe I won't have to be so uneasy and critical anymore.

"I'm not sure how long this will take, since you guys are next to impossible to track down. But I feel this is a step in the right direction.

"Articles such as the one about you have a very positive impact on me, and I only wish more such articles would be published in the paper on a regular basis. It would be my guess that most people literally do not know what cops do all day and, if asked, would probably say you make arrests and issue tickets to people.

"Although cops do perform these duties, I think this is a very bleak view of you guys, and I personally would like to know more about the positive duties you guys do. Maybe I will pass this suggestion along to the media and see what can be done, because I believe others besides myself would benefit from such coverage, and possibly even the cops.

"That about sums up what I wanted to say, except for this: Thanks for agreeing to be in the limelight for your acts of kindness, Officer Muench, for my sake and for anyone else who might have benefited from this story. I don't know who suggested this coverage, but I'm glad they did. You take care, stay safe, and keep up the good work."

RICHARD HETZEL

Police Chief

Cape Girardeau