“Are police warriors or guardians?”

asks Reiter at Rotary.

“Every twenty to twenty-five years or so law enforcement goes through a introspection which betters the agencies and their communities,”

informed Lou Reiter retired officer and police consultant. He has been active in law enforcement for 50 years.Reiter believes one of the problems in the recent Ferguson, Mo incidents was that the police force did not match the ethnic ratio of the population it served. “Law enforcement needs to build social capital within their communities which means getting out of their cars and interacting with the population,” added the consultant.

Also, observed the former Deputy Chief,

“civil disrest occurs when people feel they do not have a way to voice their concerns or address grievances.” “It is my personal opinion that police departments today look more like warriors than guardians of the peace,”

professed the Big Canoe resident.

Lou cited various problems with law enforcement over the years such as having to buy police positions in the 1930”s, not being prepared for the civil rights protest of the 1960’s and use of force in the 1990’s. Reiter complemented the Pickens sheriff’s department upon their handling of a recent shooting death. He added, “only about 2% of arrests uses force”

The Rotary club of Jasper meets at noon each Wednesday at Chattahoochee Tech for lunch, fellowship and service to the Jasper community and world. The gatherings are open to the community. Visit www.jaspergarotary.org.