Police force

Re “Regional force” (Your Views, April 23): I would like to say, while Ron Filosa’s idea of a unified police force serving Hampton Roads has some merit, I would disagree that it would be of benefit to every city.

As a lifelong resident of Virginia Beach, I prefer the police force, with all of its capabilities our city has developed over the years, serving our city. I would also point out that budgeting and allocation of resources would be a constant point of contention while the policies enacted at the direction of the multiple city governments with all of the divergent attitudes towards policing and social order would be nothing short of chaos.

Unlike many other cities both near and far, a great number of my fellow Virginia Beach residents have a deep and abiding respect for our men and women in blue and appreciate the job they perform on our behalf each day. I dare say that in our city, the overwhelming majority of our citizens look at our police as allies and advocates for public order, not as adversaries.

If you want a better police force, then first you must elect local leaders who also respect the rule of law, understand the value of a well-trained and well-compensated police force while never assuming that winning an election makes one an expert on policing.

I think it’s fair to say that many, if not all, of our Virginia Beach police officers could have been hired by any city in Hampton Roads, but chose to work in Virginia Beach. We should respect their choice.

Jimmy Frost, Virginia Beach