Thank you, Chief Mozurkevich

The year was 2005; autumn was at hand. Borough Council would soon choose a new chief of police, after many weeks of careful deliberation.

Another council meeting had come to order. During the public comment period, a concerned Greencastle resident urged council members to hire a "working chief of police."

There was good reason for that request.

Traffic speeds had risen dramatically during the previous five years on Greencastle's streets, and were often double the speed limits in posted and unposted areas. Crosswalk situations were often unsafe.

Blackened corner curbs had been appearing throughout the borough, due to automobile drivers rounding corners too fast and too closely. Collisions had sharply escalated in number.

Rolling stops had become the norm - often at 15 to 20 miles per hour. Aggressive driving was everywhere.

In-your-face motorcyclists roared repeatedly through various parts of town. Boom cars rattled windows and peoples' nerves everywhere possible.

Loitering, foul language, and other adversities continued to plague downtown residents and merchants. More could be said about other offenses; you get the picture.

In mid-October 2005, Peter Mozurkevich was hired as Greencastle's Chief of Police. During his 22 1/2-month tenure, traffic accident rates and other offenses dropped dramatically. Measures of civility reappeared in our community.

Chief Mozurkevich wasn't perfect, but he apparently put forth a lot of effort. The general record shows it.

Council meetings' executive sessions are necessarily nonpublic. We cannot know everything which Greencastle's council members heard during those sessions.

Thus, to dispute council members' decision to dismiss Chief Mozurkevich may not be wise.

The whole issue may be summed in one conclusion: If everybody practiced true Biblecentered righteousness and courtesy for one another, there would be far less need for police help, far less difficulty for elected officials

administering police services, and lower taxation.

Under such a scenario, 25 percent of Greencastle's entire General

Fund budget wouldn't be necessary. You are free to draw your own conclusions.

Real-world law enforcement is often a thankless job.

Around of gratitude is in order, for everything which Chief Mozurkevich did to help our town and the general cause of law-abiding citizens.

Robert T. Wertime

Greencastle