If you're not a crook, don't worry

RE: Police Carding

After reading all the information on street checks by members of the Hamilton Police Force, I would like to relate a story that happened a few months ago.

On my way home from picking up my wife Laurie at work, we encountered the famous bike-patrol on Mohawk Road. My wife Laurie joked, " How come you guys never patrol my street?" They asked for the street and we drove off. Moments after getting home, my wife got six high fives as the Policemen drove by our house. Seems to me that law abiding citizens have nothing to worry about when interacting with our local Police force. I hope that Police Chief Glenn De Caire has his contract renewed. He does a good job.

Mark-Alan Whittle, HAMILTON

Chief De Caire has made Hamilton safer

Gun violence

After reading about the huge number of deaths and injuries of innocent Toronto citizens at the hands of armed thugs, I feel safe and secure here in Hamilton, where only two people were shot and killed last year.

In 2010 we had 12 homicides, in 2011 we had five, but so far this year we have had only four homicides, two by firearm, for a population of 520,000 people. Both gun wielding perpetrators have been arrested and jailed. Our Police Chief Glenn De Caire has taken the lessons learned as a police staff superintendent in Toronto and applied them here. We have seen remarkable change; we have less thefts, assaults and petty crimes.

I only wish we had less drunks on the road: So far this month we have nabbed 42. Don’t drink and drive, Hamilton citizens are watching, calling 911 and turning in the drunks. This is community policing at its best, thanks to the leadership of De Caire. Toronto’s loss is our gain.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton