Gala attendees listen to Mayor Michael Lombardo’s remarks at The Banks Waterfront in Pittston last Thursday night.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader file photo
And so do our local police
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The Shop with a Cop Gala and Auction held last week at the Banks Waterfront in Pittston merits a little more attention than the daily stories it generated, including in this paper, and Mayor Michael Lombardo pretty much summed it up himself during the fundraiser.
“Over the last couple of years, I personally believe that law enforcement has been framed in the wrong picture, and we’ve got great officers here in the city,” Lombardo said.
This sentiment is spot on. The reputation of police work has been marred in recent years with recurring stories of officers applying questionable force, or otherwise using their authority inappropriately.
As has been the case when other professions (teachers and priests, for example) got broadly tarred by the bad acts of a select few, the reality tends to get lost in the hype. The large majority of police officers handle their duties with dignity, bravery and honor, but those daily performances routinely go unsung or garner little fanfare compared to the news of a “bad cop.”
Frankly, it’s human nature. Few people want to know how many thousands of cars successfully pass through a given intersection each day without incident; they want to know about the one time an accident happens.
It doesn’t help that police work has been increasingly politicized, with nominees at all levels of politics vying to be the ones “backed by the blue,” and with claims (often false) of skyrocketing crime rates that only (insert candidate’s name) can combat.
It all adds up to problematic PR for those who work as our “thin blue line,” who risk their lives daily to assure the safety of everyone else. Which is why our local police departments and law enforcement officers deserve more recognition and thanks. And why events like the gala deserve added attention. The goal, in this case, was to raise money that helps children in need purchase holiday gifts.
It is a supportive way for police to connect with the community they serve, including the participating businesses, the children and their parents. Certainly the numbers for the Pittston event show tremendous success, with the first event in 2022 helping 75 children while this year it is expected to provide shopping money to 300 youngsters.
We congratulate Lombardo, the city of Pittston, its officers and all those who participated in the gala. It had value well beyond the dollars raised.
As Lombardo put it, “law enforcement, like everything else, is about connections, and it’s about knowing the younger people in your community.”