LETTER: Views on Police Department taken out of context

I am very displeased with the way a quote from me is taken out of context and placed after a paragraph that leads some readers to come to a conclusion I did not intend ("Candidates respond to Taser issues, " in the Jan. 13 edition of the Columbia Missourian).

The second to the last sentence of the article (page 8A) reads:  "Many were concerned with candidates' views on police oversight and their abilities to move the Police Department forward."  Next, in the very last sentence, I am quoted saying, "We need a chief who is willing to talk to the community."  This suggests to the reader that I think the present acting chief and others for more than 30 years were not willing to talk to the community.

I don't like the implication.  I think the present Police Department is doing a fine job.  It is the criminal element of Columbia that doesn't want to talk to the chief.  The headline of this article indicated it was about Taser issues.  If you don't want a Taser, or any other weapon used on you, do what the policeman tells you to do.

I notice the article was composed by three people which might be part of the problem.