Do Rowan deputies really need riot gear?

Our Rowan County Sheriff’s Department is purchasing riot gear? Isn’t this another positive step for our community?

Our law enforcement departments struggle to hire competent new officers because of our non-competitive salaries, yet we buy ammo instead of increasing compensation. Perhaps it’s the more macho gear that will attract new officers.

Perhaps it will attract new business, knowing we can outfit our law enforcement personnel during our multiple (?) occasions of community unrest. Or perhaps it will assure our black/Latino citizens that we are working toward improved law enforcement and citizen interaction.

Spend the same effort and money it took to plan, order and acquire this riot gear to improve community/law enforcement relations, officer training and youth-at-risk programs.

Would our commissioners so quickly fund that positive initiative?

— Donna Prunkl

Salisbury

Different Carli

I wish to clarify letters written in recent weeks from James C. Carli to the Salisbury Post.

He is my grandson, who lives in Newark, N.J., and his views are not necessarily mine. I have instructed him to use “The 2nd” after his name. Any letter I write will be signed Jim Carli.

— Jim Carli

Salisbury