Having worked very closely with the Baltimore City homicide squad in the early 1970s, I was impressed by the professional demeanor of the officers as they underwent the often gruesome duties of investigating murders and catching those responsible. Even individuals suspected of being serial killers were treated fairly, and very often the end result was a conviction based on the admission or confession of the suspect.
What I learned from that experience is that you get the same respect that you show others. Notwithstanding the drug involvement and criminal activity of some of the citizens in Baltimore City, if they were treated with more respect by the police when being questioned or even arrested, the police would earn more respect from the community that they serve ("Civil rights groups call for action from Gov. Hogan following Gray's death," April 24).
To get respect you must show respect. The best officers in the Baltimore City Police Department have learned and exercise that philosophy. That is not to say that force is not sometimes necessary against a violent offender, but such force should be the last and not the first option to be exercised on the street.
Leslie L. Gladstone, Baltimore