Dear Editor,
It was a traffic stop of a different kind.
I encountered Police Traffic Officer Craig (18803) during Holy Week. It might have been routine for him; for me it was different from expectations, as well as enlightening and laudable.
There was courtesy and consideration of a fine professional calibre. Impressive at any time, but prior to 06:00hrs? Here was a public servant who desires to do right, fulfill his responsibilities, and be an ethical citizen in the best possible tradition.
The conversation, though official, ranged from God to country to family. There was talk of integrity, too. It was both revealing and encouraging. If this society is to find its footing, chart a way forward and upward, then the police force is a crucial component. That is, it must be analyzed, cleansed, revitalized, and renewed to make a difference, bring about public confidence.
And if Officer Craig pursues a career as a guardian of the public, he has the outlook and potential to be a good one, a different one. It is difficult to gain my regard at the first chance meeting. He did. I say to him: stay the course. Be an example for the rest (of us).
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
