Don't shoot the messenger

This newspaper has received several comments from residents of the Midville area questioning the wisdom of our pointing out that the community has limited police protection and that the police chief was suspended until he receives his state accreditation.

Apparently there is some concern that the criminal element in the area might react to the news with increased activity. We hope not. It is certainly not our intention to cause either the residents or the city officials of Midville any undue stress or hardship. We understand the difficulty of administering local government in small communities with limited resources, especially in a falling economy.

But, it is our responsibility to report the news to our readers. Unfortunately the news is not always good, and Midville has had its share of bad news over time. Just a few years ago, police officers in the community were writing so many tickets the state was called in to investigate a possible speed trap. That suspicion was found to be unwarranted, but now they have gone to the opposite extreme and have written no traffic citations at all in almost a year. The one state certified officer on the force says he has not written a speeding ticket since he joined in 2005. Of course, traffic control is only a part of law enforcement's responsibility and we have no information as to their effectiveness in other areas.

The citizens of Midville are well within their rights to question the judgment of their elected and appointed officials. It is clear that mistakes have been made, and those responsible need to correct them. But, it has been and will continue to be the policy of The True Citizen to report the facts as we find them. The news media serve as the eyes and ears for much of the public and we take that responsibility very seriously. We don't enjoy conveying bad news, but we will never cover it up.