Editor, Daily Nexus,

“Fucking Pigs” and the like are the words screamed from various parties on DP as the cops walk down the street. How do they react? They laugh it off. The men and women, giving up their weekends and time with their families to work the odd hours to protect the people in I.V., laugh it off. Why should they have to endure so much abuse for doing their jobs?

It is very disappointing when ignorant articles are printed about what goes on in I.V. regarding the Foot Patrol by people who have NO CLUE. When looking at MIPs and drunk in public citations and arrests, one has to look at the bigger picture. These rapes and assaults that Troy Greenberg is talking about (“Cops Shouldn’t Harass I.V.’s Lawful Citizens,” Nov. 13), I wonder how many are alcohol related and furthermore how many could be prevented by cutting down on alcoholic offenses. The answer is probably the majority of them.

When people say the Foot Patrol doesn’t care about the bigger problems, it’s complete bullshit. If you think that they all hang out on DP and go home when the parties stop, you’re wrong. Between the Foot patrol, CHP and UCPD there are cops on duty 24 hours a day to assist in problems. The weeks before Halloween there were overtime positions, and around 35 officers and deputies worked every night on the weekends. So for every three that were standing outside a party, 32 others were out monitoring the fraternities for vandalism, checking out a prowler on Picasso or chasing a robbery suspect on Sueno. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it is not happening.

When the Foot Patrol stands outside a party, they are not waiting to prey on helpless freshmen. They are making sure it doesn’t get out of control. There have been incidents where someone stopped breathing at a party, and if the Foot Patrol hadn’t been there to clear it out and call for medics, the person might have died.

So before you yell at the cops, get informed and try and show a little respect. The Foot Patrol does everything they can for this community and should be thanked every day.

TARA MINASSIAN