Numbers are not the only way to measure good police work

In an article last week on police morale, Mayor Lori Lightfoot touted that morale is good because during a 10-day period in June, CPD took 600 guns off the street.

That’s the first thing that destroys police morale — the fact that the mayor and the top brass try to “quantify” crime based on mere metrics. How many guns did you seize? How many stops did you make? How many traffic tickets did you write? Ludicrous.

Here’s my question to them: If CPD seized 600 guns, are there close to 600 arrests to go with them? There had better be. Because guns, an inanimate object, can be replaced by the bad guys, who will just continue the mayhem. So, how many arrests were made? What were the charges? How many arrestees were convicted felons, on probation or parole, on home monitoring or habitual offenders?

Getting guns off the street is somewhat a moot point. You have to get the shooters off the street. And with a growing animosity from all sides toward police and police work, that’s not about to happen soon. So the cycle of violence will continue.

In the meantime, I’ll be waiting for those arrest numbers.

Robert Stasch, retired CPD lieutenant, O’Hare

Wear a mask. Vote.

To some Americans: I am ashamed of you. You ignore and mock caring about others. You live as though your freedom does not include responsibility and sacrifice. You act like self-serving adolescents instead of mature adults who reason and act according to science and with the capacity to learn and understand.

Those of you who will not respectfully wear masks and implement social distancing are potentially dooming others to suffering and death. Those of you who support a do-nothing-except-for-self person as president seem to think you are still in the school cafeteria, wanting to join the bullies. You have watched your country become isolated from the rest of the world.

The so-called President dreams of being a dictator. But in the United States, that will never happen because we can speak out and vote, and because some Americans believe in our country and celebrate our potential even though our president, his administration and this virus leave us very little to celebrate.

With this virus, where has your concern for someone other than yourself gone? Help one another. Pay it forward. Make us whole again as a caring, responsible and devoted nation filled with respectful differences and the pride in being an American.

Please — wear a mask, practice social distance and take our country back by voting in November.

Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow, Lakeview

That Facebook center...

Facebook plans to build an $800 million data center in DeKalb. I would like to know if Facebook Vice President Rachel Peterson ever considered the West or South Side of Chicago for this center?

These areas have access to the same qualities that DeKalb offers, and more.

Michael Lorenzi, Oak Park