‘ Appalled’ by recent news in Bridgeport

As a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, I like many others am appalled at the chaos taking place within our city. To think that our Police Department has sunken so low that its chief of police and other high authorities had to resign because of such alleged malfeasance is utterly disgraceful and a blight on our whole city.

To make matters worse this entire turmoil has cast a pall upon the mayor, regardless of his denunciation of any knowledge of wrongdoings.

Also, the past shooting and killings as well as stops by police have only aggravated a worse situation for police with Blacks or people of color in Fairfield County.

I and many Blacks are often leery and apprehensive if we are followed by a police car or stopped for no apparent reason even though the stop did not result in a ticket, warning or anything else has happened to the driver.

To complicate matters further, the objection of police to the slogan “Black Lives Matter” and “defund the police” needs to be understood by authorities as not specifically derogatory to them but a plea for more understanding and greater awareness of the intervention by other similar professionals like social workers to evaluate a potential situation that may possibly accelerate into a worse calamity.

What we need now is a collaboration of all the parties including police, politicians and the NAACP to keep the communication process going and positive action and understanding moving forward.

Peter George Bridgeport