Re: July 11 news story.
I read with interest your story about black men and boys in Philadelphia sharing strategies for dealing with white cops, and how their perception is itap best to run away from cops.
I spent 44 years in emergency medical services, including more than 20 years as a working street paramedic in a big urban system. There’s much I don’t know, and it appears some responsibility for this angst falls squarely on the shoulders of some cops. Cops are people, and I’m sure some cops are criminals.
But I can tell you, all police officers tolerate a ton of disrespect from many of the people they question — especially those who don’t work for a living, who have poor communication skills, who don’t bother to educate themselves, and who haven’t yet accumulated the wisdom that comes from even 30 years of life experience. And fragmentary videos don’t always foster truthful conclusions about anything.
I would like to see more editorial content illuminating the other side of these stories about police.
Thom Hillson, Brighton
I take issue with your article describing 14-year-old Javon Grant’s plan for what to do should he cross paths with a police officer. If you have done nothing wrong, there is little reason to believe authorities will randomly choose any person to detain. The authorities have a difficult job and much more important things to do than perform harassment stops and follow up questioning.
I, for one, would rather have the authorities doing what their job is — to serve and protect.
Lawrence E. Barnes, Littleton
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