Dear Editor:

The next Chief of Police for the Downey Police Department needs to be a lifelong cop with a history and track record for being tough-on-crime.

The city does not need or want one of those soft-on-crime progressives who go around parading about “equity.” These types only want the position to further their political aspirations. Cities across the US are pumping those guys out like candy under the guise of “equity in policing” and “criminal justice reform.” If anyone looks you in the eye and utters the words “criminal justice reform” or “mass incarceration”, just ignore them because they aren’t serious people.

We need more prisons. We need to make more arrests. We need to raise the prison population. Stop with this soft on crime nonsense that nobody believes in. Even the “defund the police” crowd are finally admitting that the whole idea was a big mistake.

There used to be a perception that Downey Police were tough and that Downey was not a city for hooliganism because the cops would jam you up and bust you down. That perception is long gone. Downey is once again known as the city to go to when you want to rob, loot, burglarize, steal, street race, and assault people. Even gang activity appears to be up in the city.

Downey Police needs to once again go back to having the same reputation as Torrance Police or Beverly Hills Police. Hire more cops. Make more stops. Run gangs out of Downey. The time for being soft on crime is over.

Rob Mendoza
Downey