Mr. Campbell’s observations, “Police officer decline” (BDN, Feb. 18), though shocking, need to be put in perspective. The reason they are all over the news is because they are unusual. There are hundreds of thousands of people in this country in law enforcement you will never read about. They go to work every day just like you and I.

The difference is many of them put their lives on the line in situations most of us will never experience. They many times see the worst humanity has to offer. Duties vary from helping get a cat out from under the porch to confronting violence in a domestic disturbance to investigating traffic accidents to cleaning up after a suicide.

I was a police officer for more than seven years and would not trade that experience for anything.

Mr. Campbell, your decision not to become a police officer is a “cop out.” You could have made a difference!

Ron McArdle

Presque Isle