Officer William Torbit was apparently killed by shots fired from fellow Baltimore City police officers outside a Baltimore nightclub ("Pair say police shot officer," Jan. 11).

These are truly trying times for the police department. It will be incumbent on Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III to keep morale intact. A glaring mistake in judgment was made, but that does not mean the department can take a few days off. Such is the demanding life of public servants.

After Officer Torbit is laid to rest with a fitting ceremony, the Baltimore City police have to strike this accident from their collective memory and forge ahead.

I am personally very grateful for the jobs these valiant people perform on a daily basis.

Thank a cop today. Keep in mind that a breakdown in the police force could be the difference between civility and street-level anarchy.

Patrick R. Lynch, Nottingham