Training deputies
Re “Shortage of deputies in L.A. County,” May 31
The picture of a Los Angeles County sheriff ’s deputy yelling in the face of a recruit on the first day of training might well fit what you would expect for a Marine being prepared for war. Police officers are to serve and protect civilians. Why have we militarized them?
The dual-track system — with separate career paths for jail duty and street patrol — is sensible. Trainee Nicolette Barfield, quoted in the article, says she wants to mentor arrestees and inmates and to help them “understand why they made a mistake.” She is just the person to be in the jail custody corps, which should receive more training in mental illness and addiction as a way to stop recycling the same population in and out of our jails.
Those who receive brutality are more likely to inflict brutality. Those treated with respect are more likely to respect others.
Louise Bianco
Tarzana