At Issue – Confidence in Cops Eroded

The Latin American Police Association and the Puerto Rican Police Association; do not condone any criminal activity on the part of police officers, particularly any insidious affiliation with street gangs (news stories, Oct. 8 and 9, and editorial Oct. 10).

The Sun-Times’ investigation uncovered allegedly (illegal activity) that was already the target of an Internal Affairs investigation. The officers identified were either fired and; or prosecuted.

The frantic headlines and the editorial simply do not square with the reported facts. The Sun-Times “investigation” and editorial amount to little more than shouting “fire” in a crowded theater after the fire has been extinguished.

Unbalanced journalism undercuts community confidence in the overwhelming majority of officers who tirelessly serve and protect.

By eroding community confidence, the Sun-Times does far more damage than a few “rogue officers” ever could.

Salvador A. Martinez,
President, LAPA,

Jose Ortiz Jr.,
President, PRPA