Welcome to our weekly column in which a topic of interest, piece of news, relevant opinion, or general request for feedback is presented. We’ll offer the topic du jour and accompanying question, and you have the opportunity to respond with your thoughts.
Simply fill out the form below. A collection of each week’s responses will appear in the following week’s column.
View last week's responses on Maryland Counties Seceding to West Virginia
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This week’s Feedback Friday topic is:
Re-Fund the Police
The socio-political turbulence that our nation, state, and cities have experienced in the past several years with regards to the atypical cases of police brutality led to cries of “Defund the Police.” That became a slogan that was ultimately interpreted by Maryland’s own legislature as reforming police administration, resources, and judicial procedures. But those very measures have hit their own wall of scrutiny and criticism, even leading to what some officers describe as very low workforce morale and creating—like many professions today—a workforce shortage.
Contrarily, and in this week’s good news for the police profession, Governor Larry Hogan issued the following statement after the Maryland State Police announced that effective January 1, 2022, the state will increase the starting pay of trooper candidates by 45 percent:
“Today, we are taking the first step in implementing our $150 million Re-Fund The Police Initiative by ensuring that we offer more competitive salaries to the troopers who will be putting their lives on the line every day to keep the rest of us safe. We need more investment in public safety so that we can recruit and retain quality officers, increase diversity, expand community policing efforts, improve training, and provide better technology and equipment.
“Instead of defunding the police, we are re-funding the police.”
Our questions to you:
Do you agree with this initiative?
Please share your thoughts by filling out this form.
Last week, we asked you about Maryland Counties Seceding to West Viriginia and you responded. Here is a sampling of reader responses. To read more, click here.
Let them go if the locals vote to do so. At the same time return the District of Columbia to Maryland to make up for any tax base losses and gives MD state rights to D.C. residents.
Rick Michaels, Annapolis
