Letters to the Editor | Oct. 16, 2026
Inquirer readers on the fatal shooting of a Philadelphia police officer and the sexual assault case at Cornell University.
Expand laws
The fatal shooting of a Philadelphia police officer and the serious injuries sustained by another were probably avoidable if the right laws were in place. And although I support Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and her efforts to expand state law on holding people struggling with substance use and those living with severe mental illness, she is not helpless now.
The police already have the authority under Title 10 of the Philadelphia Code to get people who use substances off the streets, particularly when they are publicly intoxicated from drugs or alcohol, illegally blocking our sidewalks, and sleeping on our streets. But instead, city officials, led by District Attorney Larry Krasner, have opted to use their discretion to not pursue charges in some cases. And that protects the drug dealers, not the public nor the people who use substances themselves, for that matter.
Admittedly, prison isn’t the best place to detox or for people living with mental illness, but appropriate medical care for prisoners is a right that is guaranteed under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and a court order would help to ensure that right is honored.
Again, state law should be changed to ensure protection for all concerned, but there’s a lot more Mayor Parker and city officials can do right now under current law.
Lynn Landes, Philadelphia, LynnLandes@gmail.com
Unacceptable response
The Philadelphia Police Department’s spokesperson, Sgt. Eric Gripp, said now is not the time to bring up previous missteps regarding the 2023 trial of Eric Lewis, who is accused of killing Officer Shane Seiber. How many times have we heard that before from officials after mass shootings, school shootings, and other horrific incidents? It’s always the time to seek truth and accountability.
Officer Seiber’s family will never stop grieving his tragic death. They will live it every day. They deserve to know the truth. They deserve all the facts. They deserve the resolve to make our legal system better. That is the way to honor their beloved son, husband, father, friend, colleague, and public servant, Officer Shane Seiber.
Maureen Finley, Wilmington
Justice misplaced
Jonathan Zimmerman’s insistence that it was wrong to name the seven men accused of assaulting Jane Doe at Cornell University illustrates a key problem in many discussions of sexual misconduct — the desire to protect “good men” over the safety and well-being of the survivors of the crimes of “bad men.”
While it’s unfortunate that the wrong Matthew Ingalls received the ire of the public, what he is going through pales in comparison to what the Cornell Jane Doe and survivors of sexual assault are faced with — whether or not they come forward.
Spending energy defending innocent men on the perimeters of violence is a misdirect, and another way in which misogyny is given much more space in these conversations than the victims ever are.
Jamie Fountaine, Philadelphia
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About letters to the editor
Letters feature a reader’s written opinion and are submitted in response to an article in The Inquirer or another topical issue. Submissions should be sent to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include the writer’s home address and day and evening phone number. Letters are published in the Inquirer six days a week on the print opinion pages and online.
