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Chief Klein's record also notable in officer safety

Re: Chief Klein's balance is no act, story, Jan. 1.

What a fitting tribute to a consummate professional and a class act! The only missing accolade is the officer safety record of the Clearwater Police Department.

A couple of months ago, I watched Blue Line CPD (Klein's show on cable Ch. 15 in Clearwater) and at the end of the program, photos of fallen officers, their names and dates of service were shown. It was both astonishing and heartbreaking to see three or four sworn officers in Florida who had given their lives while serving their communities in recent months.

I recall visiting and looking at the museum cases in the Clearwater Police Department lobby about a year ago. Shortly before Sid Klein arrived, in the mid or late 1970s, two or three of our officers were killed in the line of duty within about two years. Since his arrival more than 25 years ago, we have been blessed not to lose another officer in the line of duty. That speaks volumes for his leadership, training emphasis, strong management and phenomenal care for his men and women.

When I highlighted this achievement to him, he humbly replied that independently, traffic procedures were changed or mandated following those earlier tragedies. He deflected any credit.

Well chief, I will publicly disagree with you that the Police Department's excellence in officer safety has not been influenced by your caring and leadership. I hope that disagreement with the chief is not a citable offense!

Our community, officers and especially their families salute you.

Family's science projects "prove' only the incorrect

Re: In fossil digs, they see God's handiwork, story, religion page, Jan. 7.

The article belonged in the comics section rather than the North Pinellas Times. The DeRosa family and their followers can't be as ignorant as to really believe that Earth is only 6,000 years old!

This is, of course, outrageous. With no formal training (i.e., education), they have set out to dispute the factual findings of countless learned anthropologists and astrophysicists who all agree that the Earth is approximately 4.5-billion years old.

Rather than depending on the Bible for scientific truths, I'd suggest they spend some time reading Cosmos by Carl Sagan. As Mr. Sagan, who had a doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics, said, "Evolution isn't a theory, it's a fact!"

Offenders must be equal in Largo officer's eyes

Re: Sergeant fired over birthday party antics, story, Jan. 5.

The real story here is not the whipped cream on Largo police Sgt. Joan Short's chest being licked off by another female officer. It's that Short's boyfriend, a Pinellas County sheriff's deputy, was pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence. Then, Largo police Officer Albin Soto decides they can leave if the deputy lets his passenger, Short, drive.

I wonder how many people Officer Soto stops for suspicion of DUI who are not officers of the law and then he lets them go as long as somebody else drives. Evidently, when it comes to officers of the law, it's "Do as I say, not as I do."

I don't think it would be unreasonable for people who are supposed to uphold the law to be held to at least the same standard, if not higher.

Photos' effects reach beyond Florida state line

My 7-year-old grandson in Warwick, R.I., and I thank you so very much for printing such beautiful and educational pictures at the top of each day's Classified section the past year. I have cut them out and placed them in 61/2-by-41/2 "brag" albums.

Not only can my grandson learn about where I live, but he is able to take the albums to "show and tell" at school so his classmates become informed of the differences in nature between the state of Rhode Island and the state of Florida.

Please keep printing these wonderful pictures during the coming year. Thanks from both of us.

[Last modified January 11, 2006, 00:41:19]