Letters: Getting more from Police Dept.

WHAT letter-writer Paul Kelly suggests isn't going to happen. City Council and the mayor's office aren't going to cut their money, period, but cutting 500 police officers wouldn't be such a big problem.

When you were in uniform, there were about 7,500 or more cops, but with a population of two million. Now there's 1.4 million, so we don't need as many police.

We have plenty of officers, all you have to do is deploy them right. Cut out a few useless units like civil affairs, cut back the 5 Squad in all districts, get rid of drivers for captains and inspectors (about 250), take a lot of the deadwood off of their HQ desk jobs and replace them with civilians at a lot less money. And safety isn't high on the spending list.

Robert Stewart

Philadelphia

Color-coded frenzies

We constantly get duped by white men/women when someone goes missing, and for some reason these tragedies become national news. Nancy Grace, CNN, local news. Even a movie!

I see a little ad in the paper about an 18 year-old-black male from North Philly, and there seems to be no interest. Why?

How come there isn't a daily report on him. Why no "national media frenzy?" How come there's just a small picture in the paper that seems like a paid ad? The editors, columnists and the media in general should respond to this. After all, we read and listen to the news, too.

A lying, scheming white wife/ husband/child goes missing, or is murdered, and then it's free all-across-America 24-hour updates! But this North Philly family has to take out a small ad (probably can't afford more) and . . . nothing? I didn't even hear about this young man, Murshin Whaley, on the news.

Missing minorities don't deserve national media attention unless they're from famous families? What are the criteria to get national attention? There's been Natalie Holloway, Lacey Peterson, little Casey Anthony, and many, more but a young black male gets a small paid ad?

We need to boycott the media and the businesses that advertise in them until minorities from all walks of life get the same attention!

Loretta Brown

Philadelphia

Christine Harrity cries about the distress to the black community over the kidnapping hoax.

In her next sentence, she accuses police of "probably" making illegal arrests over it. What about the distress that prejudiced comment causes the police community? Her wrong doesn't make your wrong right.

Keith Callan, Philadelphia

Blessed development

In contrast to a media saturated with accounts of racial and ethnic divisiveness, the article portraying the struggle, determination and success of Rabbi Alysa Stanton ("First black female rabbi") offers hope for the future of a more compassionate and tolerant society.

Samuel J. Savitz, Bala Cynwyd