Local Commentary

Gerard Hetman

August 16

With police under fire, we can learn to value their work Gerard Hetman Commentary

AS I was leaving my computer Thursday evening, an item in my Facebook news feed stopped me on a dime.

While the full details did not come out until later, the incident involved the shooting death of Bethlehem-area police Officer Robert Lasso, who was killed while responding to a domestic incident. According to media reports, the primary suspect in his killing is in custody, and had been arrested several years ago by Lasso on a drug paraphernalia charge.

Officer Lasso leaves behind a wife and two children.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and co-workers of the Freemansburg officer.

Since several of my friends work as law enforcement officers, and I have covered stories relating to law enforcement for The Times Leader, I have taken notice of an alarming number of incidents involving the deaths of police officers in the line of duty.

The statistics are chilling.

This year, Officer Lasso’s murder is the 114th death of a law enforcement officer in the United States, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which pays tribute to officers killed in the line of duty. His passing is the 47th to come by gunfire this year – a 27 percent increase from last year.

Hearing these statistics leaves me asking how such tragic deaths can be reduced. While there is no easy answer, there are several initiatives that can help stem the epidemic of violence

I grew up with a healthy dose of admiration for police officers, and I always have respected their authority. It is easy for us to stress teaching such attitudes to children and adolescents, both in schools and at home. But more is needed, and law enforcement agencies can help in this regard.

Earlier this month, my father was one of 31 Scranton residents to complete the Citizen’s Police Academy, a 12-week outreach program that gives city residents an up-close look at police work. With corporate sponsorship from GEICO, residents explored every aspect of police operations, culminating with a ride-along in a police cruiser. Scranton Police Chief Dan Duffy told me that he plans to hold more classes in the future, all of it at minimal cost to his department.

Programs such as the Citizen’s Police Academy, while challenging in the face of shrinking budgets, are more valuable than we can calculate. It is through these efforts that the public can get a true appreciation of the work done by law enforcement. Then, respect for our police officers can germinate where it matters most – with residents and business owners.

That can result in safer conditions for law enforcement, and by extension, safer living conditions in our communities.

Gerard Hetman is The Times Leader’s online content specialist. Send him email at ghetman@timesleader.com.

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