County officials are turning their backs on police

This month we marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11. During and after the attacks, thousands of police and fire personnel responded to the scene regardless of whether they were working or not. They responded because that’s what we are all about. Our job is to help those in need.

There wasn’t an elected official in this country who didn’t praise the work done by police and fire services after Sept. 11. You could see it every night on the news and in the papers. Elected officials pushed their way in to have pictures taken with us, and then used those pictures in political literature to show that they were on the side of good, hardworking men and women who put their lives on the line every day.

Remember the rhetoric from those officials, claiming they were tough on crime, tough on terrorism? And that their challengers were soft on those issues, not worthy of representing the people, whether it was a village, county, state or national

election?

Appropriations were dispersed to build new public safety facilities, secure better equipment and the training to go along with it. And each time they obtained the money to do these projects, elected officials lined up again to get their pictures taken and send out mailings on the taxpayers’ dime showing the great work they were doing supporting the police and fire departments in their districts. Even if they had nothing to do with obtaining the grants, they took credit and let everyone know they were for strong public safety. As the years have gone by, that sentiment was sadly lost.

Ten years later