Letter to the Editor

Law & Order vs Wild, Wild West

Dear Readers:

I urge you to attend the City Commission meeting scheduled for January 14th to voice your opinion in support of the Cedar Key Police Department. Often positive support by the majority is lacking at City Commission meetings, and too often, a complaint presented by a minority is given more attention than it deserves.

During the January 14th meeting of the City Commissioners, there will be a discussion scheduled at the end of the meeting between the five City Commissioners concerning recommendations that they intend to make to the City's police department concerning the enforcement of the federal, state and city laws within our city limits. At a previous City Commission meeting, a group of city and county residents gave the City Commissioners a petition signed by approximately thirty-five individuals questioning what they perceived to be overzealous enforcement by the City's police officers. At that meeting, the City Commissioners agreed to review the situation, and make recommendations to the police department at the January 14th meeting.

In response to negative comments made against the police during the earlier City Commission meeting, numerous letters expressing support of the police have been published in the Cedar Key Beacon, the Cedar Key News, the Gainesville Sun and the Chiefland Citizen. On Christmas Eve, an oversized "thank you card," signed by approximately one hundred fifty residents of Cedar Key was presented to the members of police department. It's clear to me that a majority of the residents of Cedar Key are happy with the job that the police department is doing enforcing the laws.

If you support the city's police department in their effort to keep Cedar Key a safe place to live and work, I urge you to let the City Commissioners know your position by attending the meeting next Tuesday night.

Sincerely,

Jeff Dwyer