I enjoyed reading the article “Beat Literature” (2/14). It took me down memory lane and reminded me why there is so much injustice in the District of Columbia and citizen mistrust of the Metropolitan Police Department. There are good police officers out there who have been overshadowed by the bad ones. Somehow, to the average citizen, they all look the same, because they wear the same uniform and a gun.

One way of distinguishing the bad cops from the good is that innocent citizens are assaulted by bad cops, who violate their constitutional rights. Having a bad day is no excuse for a cop to assault an innocent citizen. The article points out that every man or woman wearing a badge and carrying a gun is not necessarily fit to be a police officer.

As citizens of the District of Columbia, we are always encouraged to come forward with a complaint and bear witness to any crime committed, by a felon or a police officer. I often wonder how the police department has the nerve to expect citizens to be so helpful when it turns a blind eye to improper conduct displayed by its own.

The mere fact that citizens’ complaints were allowed to fall on deaf ears and collect inches of dust clearly illustrates how little citizens are valued. Meanwhile, police brutality is allowed to increase, and many criminal cases remain unsolved.

Along with artistic value, you can also find an ounce of truth buried in that mountain of unwanted complaints.

Southwest