Police car needed for town

By Staff
Dear editor, the Times,
As of Oct. 1 I began my eighth year of service to the good people of Red Bay as a member of the police department.
There are only ten other full time employees serving a town of nearly 4,000 and their selfless dedication and unfailing "go the extra mile" attitude inspires me daily.
This service goes beyond protecting the public – my family and yours – by getting intoxicated drivers off the road or stopping a dangerous intruder from entering someone's residence.
It goes beyond getting the methamphetamine off the street that might have forever wrecked an unwary teenager's brain. These are unquestionably important parts of our work but there is much more.
There are the less publicized jobs like finding the little boy's stolen bicycle or the older gentleman's misplaced wallet.
There is Lt. Chandler locating the toddler who wandered off the one minute grandma was distracted. Or Sgt. Belue doing a safety program at Red Bay School because if one student is helped to make the right decision, that's a precious life changed for the better.
When we support our police department we are supporting our town and our own future.
When we demean them, "tear them down," we are insulting our own city and risking our children's safety and future.
Can you trust a worn out sputtering patrol car to get you to the scene in time? What price do you put on a life lost because spite prevented the purchase of a patrol car with less than 100,000 miles on it?
Stephen Moore
Red Bay