Letter: Police reform

The FBI reports that murder rates in the U.S. increased by 30% in 2020. In Tucson, this past year, murder rates were significantly higher than the national average. In Dallas this past year the murder rate decreased by 13% and arrests decreased by 11%. A new police chief was hired and worked with researchers to use data to identify the primary neighborhoods where most crime occurred. With citizen input, he upped the presence of psychologically well-suited police, and increased lighting, illuminating areas where crime was rampant. Rather than defunding police, he improved police morale with better pay and benefits, effectively screened out rogue cops, and professionalized the force. It turned out that by doing that and focusing on getting repeat offenders with outstanding warrants off the streets, crime went down and so did arrests. If we're already on track in Tucson, great! If not, it's time to get cracking!