It's time for more law enforcement officers in the Valley

Frontiersman editorial board

Today, as we sit at home, reading the newspaper, watching football or catching up on a week's worth of chores, a group of our neighbors are wrestling with one of the most difficult decisions they'll likely ever have to make. The jury in the trial of Pastor Phillip Mielke will reconvene tomorrow to continue deliberations that will decide Mielke's fate.

The Big Lake pastor is charged in the shooting deaths of two men who were burglarizing the church where Mielke preaches, and where he serves as custodian and caretaker. Whatever verdict the jury returns, many tough questions now must be answered.

Many Valley residents have wrestled with the question of whether or not Mielke's actions were justified, and what other options he may have had. Some people argue that slow trooper response times and weak investigation results leave citizens few options in a community plagued by burglary and vandalism. Others argue that, no matter how frustrated people are, it's never a good idea for average citizens to take on the task of law enforcement -- especially when that decision ends in killing.

What should people do to protect their property and their families? If a community has lost faith in it's police force, what is the proper course of action?

Clearly, the Valley suffers from a shortage of police officers and other law enforcement resources. If response times are more than 20 minutes in many cases, and more than one day in others, citizens have good cause for concern. That concern has turned to frustration in many cases, and frustrated voices ask, "Should we cower in our homes and wait for protection that often arrives too late?"

While our community has grown, we have actually lost law enforcement officers. Too few troopers patrol an extremely large area. It's time we insist upon greater police protection in the Valley, but we have to realize that increased resources will come with a price tag. Surely, the cost is justified.

Whatever the jury decides, Mielke will have to wrestle with his decision for the rest of his life. The question is not whether he is a good man or a bad man. The question is, did an average citizen make the right choice in a difficult situation?

The outcome is almost always better when a professional handles crime prevention, and we can only ensure that will happen by adding more law enforcement officers to the Valley force. We hope that will happen sooner rather than later.