Praising heroic trailblazer

Weekend tragedy

Regarding “Sheriff ’s deputy killed in traffic stop” (Front page, Sept. 28): I was beyond saddened to read about this. Sandeep Dhaliwal slain, fatally shot during a routine traffic stop.

There is nothing routine about police work, particularly patrolling. But tragedies like these could be avoided if enough resources were available to enable police officers to ride two to a vehicle. I, for one, would gladly pay higher local taxes in order to increase the safety of law enforcement by enabling all patrol vehicles to be manned by two officers.

The city of Houston, Harris County, and its precincts must look further into this to see what it would take to make this happen. Patrick Cooney, Cypress

Loss for community

Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal’s death is not only a loss for the sheriff ’s department but also a deep loss for the community, particularly the Sikh community. He was a pioneer and a trailblazer who became the first deputy in Harris County Sheriff ’s Office to be allowed to wear a turban while on duty. He wanted people to know about his religion, which is often misunderstood. His turban did not deter him from his commitment to public safety and service. Nor did people change their opinion of him because he looked different while wearing his turban.

Deputy Dhaliwal was the kind of human being who helped wherever and whenever it was needed. He touched so many lives that we will be hearing about it for years to come.

The void that has been created by his demise will certainly be filled by the brave, strong and faithful young men and women who are followers of Sikhism. Deputy Dhaliwal has left behind a legacy that will be a part of our history. Asha Hooda, Houston

Debating crime statistics

Regarding the editorial “Stick to the facts,” (Opinion, Sept. 19): I only wish you had.

I have repeatedly said violent crime is up significantly during the Turner administration, which is absolutely true. According to FBI data, violent crime jumped 16.4 percent during Mayor Turner’s first two years in office. The number of violent crimes in 2017 was the highest since 2009. This is the only official data available to the public.

The drop in violent crime in 2018 the Chronicle reported was achieved using data that has not been released to the public by any reporting agency. Even applying your unverified data, the average number of violent crimes for the first three years of the Turner administration has been 24,151, an 11.46 percent increase over the average violent crime rate for the Parker administration.

There may be other candidates in this race who are prone to exaggeration and fearmongering, but my positions are always based on data, and I take strong exception to any insinuation to the contrary.

If Tony Buzbee has exaggerated the danger of crime in our community, the Chronicle has minimized it to an equal degree by cherry-picking statistics. It is an absolute fact that violent crime has been significantly worse under Turner than it was under Parker. I will stick with those facts whether the Chronicle or other candidates choose to, or not. Bill King, Houston

Unfazed by truth

Regarding “Cornyn argues whistleblower doesn’t legally qualify as one” (City/ State, Sept. 28): Republican Sen. John Cornyn attacks the Ukraine-gate whistleblower’s credibility with the argument that his allegations are based on what others have told him instead of personal observation. He also alleges political bias on the whistleblower’s part.

Apparently, Cornyn doesn’t care whether the allegations are true, that the president of the United States attempted to pressure a foreign head of state to dig up dirt on a political rival. He appears only to be interested in shielding the president from the country finding out the truth. Tom Moore, Katy