Letters to the Editor for April 1, 2011

I would ask that you consider the following and temper your thirst for knowledge regarding the tactics police use in such situations.

Law enforcement in Baker County as well as the counties which send assistance to us when needed, are very professional. However, they do not have an endless bag of resources or tactics at their disposal. No law enforcement agency does. I am a strong advocate of transparency and full disclosure. However if the tactics police use in such potentially fatal incidents are widely known and discussed their effectiveness over time diminishes. The tactics used in South Baker were successful. If a future armed/despondent subject reads with any specificity what those tactics are then in a potential future incident his/her safety, the safety of responders, and the safety of neighbors may well be jeopardized. Why? Because that prior knowledge of law enforcement tactics will give such a person a huge advantage. There is a reason why tactics successfully used to resolve armed conflict both in war and in police work are best left publicly confidential.