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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Top Galleries: December 9, 2006 Letter At Length Letter Submissions Letters should be e-mailed in text-only format to [email protected] . Please include your address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached for confirmation. Letters are limited to 250 words. At Length submissions are limited to 400 words. Submissions may be edited for length, content and clarity. The Tidings gives priority to letters on local and regional topics of current interest. It seeks to encourage thoughtful, well-reasoned leters and to discourage personal attacks, repetitive messages and personal disputes. Form letters are not published in the Tidings, nor are letters identified as having been published in other publications. Chief should be chosen by people I read, with interest, the front-page article about the citizens' group that wants input in the hiring of our new police chief. I believe that if there is to be such a group working with our local officials to find/select a new chief, it should be one selected and appointed by our local government, and it should include people who represent all of the town's diverse constituents. It seems to me that our recent election illustrates how diverse this town is and how differing the needs and desires of the wide-ranging elements of our population here are, and therefore, any group selecting a new police chief should contain a representation of every segment of our townspeople, and not just be a skewed group with an agenda which is what this self-appointed group seems to me to be. I am all for good policing. At the same time, I disagree with Eric Navickas, who has stated repeatedly that what he wants in a police chief is someone who listens. I want someone who leads and who can keep the peace. Listening is third on my list. It's ahead of a number of other attributes, but it is not first. I'd hate to have a listener who can't command the respect of his troops, and who lets crime increase. And, unless the people who are going to select the next chief include someone who agrees with that, then they are not representing me, or others like me, who live here. I'm not sure that good policing and community policing are the same thing. To me, good policing is keeping the town safe, enforcing our laws, and fitting in to the style of the community"¦ not being a para-military force, but rather a friendlier peace keeping/law enforcement organization. If community policing includes turning a selective blind eye to some laws that are broken, or arrest and release with a wink of the eye, I do not agree with that. Who decides which laws are OK to break and which aren't? And why? I may not agree with everything they do, but we did elect our city officials. Let them do their jobs. Let them select the next police chief. If they get it wrong, we can always recall them or vote against them in the next election. They can create and select an authorized citizens' committee made up of people from the different elements of Ashland's society if they want help in the process. But don't let our next police chief be selected by a small group of self-appointed citizens who, more than likely, do not represent the views of everyone in our town. Rick Bleiweiss Ashland Current Comments: Rick, well said. Jed - Ashland, OR - December 9th, 6:47 PM Bravo, Rick! Very well said. David - Ashland, OR - December 9th, 9:52 PM Mr. Bleiweiss is so right. The current situation could evolve to where the inmates run the asylum. That doesn't make for good policy. Pragmatic - Ashland, OR - December 11th, 9:00 PM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.