A Tragedy for the NYPD: The Death of Det. Simonson
Yet another police officer was killed, sadly by “friendly fire,” but as a result of the actions of a career criminal with 25 arrests on his record (“Thug blamed in cop death,” Feb. 14).
How many more must die at the hands of these chronic predators who pass through our so-called “justice system” as though it were a revolving door?
Every week, we read more stories about people being victimized by criminal miscreants who should be in prison, not on city streets. It’s long past time for a complete revamping of our justice system.
It used to be that repeat offenders were sent back for a longer time until they learned their lesson. It is high time for lawabiding people to be given more consideration than those who break the law. David Shapiro Manhattan
Detective Brian Simonsen had served 19 years with the NYPD when he tragically was shot and killed by friendly fire, as multiple police officers responded to an attempted robbery at a T-Mobile store in Queens. Another officer was wounded, but thankfully will survive.
Both of these brave officers put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of our city.
Our hearts and prayers go out to Detective Simonsen’s wife, his family, friends, colleagues at the 102nd Precinct, and to the entire NYPD, as they mourn the loss of a truly fine man who was totally dedicated to his job. John Amato Fresh Meadows
My sadness for NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen is outweighed by my anger at all the legislators, lawyers, district attorneys, prosecutors, judges and others who played a role in a career criminal like Christopher Ransom being allowed to remain free rather than in a prison cell. If they had all done their jobs, Simonsen would be alive today.
Not that the cops on the scene were faultless. The 42 shots they wildly fired were too reminiscent of the 41 shots once fired at an innocent Amadou Diallo. Wellchosen and well-trained cops should never act like “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.” Richard Siegelman Plainview
The tragedy in Queens last week was caused by a career criminal who has been beating the system for years. He might have committed the same crime last month, yet he was still on the street.
Know-it-alls who think they understand everything about prison reform worry about those who commit crimes, instead of victims. Vote for candidates who protect all people, not just criminals. John Wilde Massapequa Park Countless times per year, Americans (includ- ing cops) are wounded or killed by sloppy cops who are inept with their service weapons. The more you protect all cops as if they’re sacred cows, the more good cops will die. K. Wood-Vincent Manhattan
It’s about time Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo stood up for our NYPD, instead of taking away its ability to do its job without fearing retribution by city officials.
If those in power don’t realize it, the police are laughed at because there are so many loopholes and ways to get off easy in court with no time in jail.
More and more, the streets are being given back to the hoodlums, as in the ’70s and ’80s. Joseph Comperchio Brooklyn
Even after Amadou Diallo, an unarmed, lawabiding black man, was shot 19 times by police and murdered on his own doorstep for doing nothing wrong, not one thing has improved.
Even after nine innocent civilians walking on Fifth Avenue were hit by police bullets or ricochets (zero were hit by the criminal’s gun) in 2012, nothing changed one bit. The same thing happened in Queens.
We liberals aren’t anticop; we’re anti-bad-cop. And we don’t understand why conservatives (who claim the government is inept) protect bad cops. The more you protect cops who can’t take on a guy with a fake gun, the sooner you destroy the entire police department. Sean Sabelli The Bronx