Thank you for the article acknowledging the work of Lt. Mike Smith in my community (“The Beat Goes On,” 12/12). Smith is one of the officers who allows us to take pride in our city and public service.

I have had problems upon problems with my own police service area, PSA 312, which covers the Scott Montgomery Elementary School. Lt. Smith is an inspiration—reason to believe that the hard work pays off well before the results start to appear. Although Smith does not directly preside over my PSA, I have been on bike rides with him as a part of Chain Reaction’s youth programs, and know that he helps everyone in our diverse community—black, white, Latino, Asian, young and old, wealthy and disadvantaged, gay and straight, religious and not. He’s super. He is a hero.

Shaw