We are happy to report this week on two local initiatives to go beyond the symptoms of crime and treat the causes.
The most significant was the signing of an agreement by the heads of every law enforcement agency, as well as LincolnHealth, Mid Coast Hospital’s Addiction Resource Center, and other community organizations, to connect drug users with treatment.
The law enforcement agencies and other organizations behind the agreement are doing the right thing. A shift in focus from punishment to treatment for firsttime or low-level offenders will save lives and transform many for the better.
We also applaud Two Bridges Regional Jail and volunteer Joan Taylor for their efforts to help inmates through yoga.
It might be difficult to see how a few back bends could turn an inmate’s life around, but many times the crimes we report on are the result of a rash decision – or a series of rash decisions.
If just one of Taylor’s students takes a deep breath next time they encounter a situation that could return them to state custody, her work will have been worthwhile.
GRATITUDE AND SOLIDARITY
We send our heartfelt condolences to the Dallas and Baton Rouge law enforcement communities and the families of the eight officers killed in the cowardly attacks of July 7 and 17.
The words of one of the murdered Baton Rouge officers in a Facebook post days before his death underline the senselessness of the killings.
On July 5, two white police officers in Baton Rouge shot and killed Alton Sterling, a black man.
On July 7, five Dallas officers were murdered by a lone gunman during protests of the deaths of Sterling and Philando Castile, a black man shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minneapolis.
Montrell Jackson, a black officer in Baton Rouge, was apparently reflecting on these events in his post of July 8, which seems to reflect both his disappointment in sweeping judgments of police officers and his sympathy with peaceful protesters.
“In uniform I get nasty, hateful looks, and out of uniform, some consider me a threat,” he said.
In a time when few see room for compromise on the issues of the day – either blue lives matter or black lives matter, either Clinton or Trump, either right or wrong – Jackson had personal experience with the worst of both sides, yet sought unity instead of division.
“Please don’t let hate infect your heart … I’m working in these streets, so any protesters, officers, friends, family, or whoever, if you see me and need a hug or want to say a prayer, I got you,” Jackson said.
On July 17, Jackson and two fellow officers were ambushed and murdered.
The attacks in this country and abroad, and the increasingly divisive rhetoric among those on either side of the issues, worry us.
In his commentary on this page, Sheriff Todd Brackett asks whether law enforcement officers stand alone. Here in Lincoln County, the answer is a resounding no.
We all gripe from time to time about a traffic stop or a parking ticket, but the people of Lincoln County support their law enforcement officers.
We encounter law enforcement officers on a daily basis in the newspaper business. Some are friendlier than others – you could say the same of reporters. Some have more patience with our never-ending questions than others. (We ask lots of questions – it’s our job!)
But as a whole, our daily interaction with law enforcement only increases our appreciation for what they do, which is place themselves in harm’s way – and under intense scrutiny – every day to serve and protect our community, our families, our homes, our businesses, and ourselves.
We here at The Lincoln County News stand with our local officers, and second the sheriff’s call to express our gratitude and solidarity with the officers we encounter.
