Unions: Rebuke of Tacoma's mayor was uncalled for

Re: “Mayor’s statements upset police unions,” (TNT, 5/14).

Wow, what arrogance and audacity from two police union presidents, to rebuke Mayor Marilyn Strickland over her very generous assessment of the Tacoma Police Department in a very sensitive environment. Their rebuke gives verity to the community concerns, especially the minority community, that policing in Tacoma is out of control. The mere fact that the Tacoma Police Department has been sued successfully and has pending lawsuits suggests that Tacoma does not have perfect law enforcement.

I guess it’s good policing to stop an African American female college graduate doing an internship in Tacoma. And instead of giving her a warning or a ticket for jaywalking, they bullied her, put her in the back of a police car and called four other officers to join in the intimidation of this young African American female. Or what about the maltreatment of a 15-year-old African American female at the mall, brutally handled and Tased until she was numb?

I could go on and on with horrible stories from citizens about the Tacoma Police Department.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Unions: Rebuke of Tacoma's mayor was uncalled for."