Dear Editor,

Is there a protocol for the police in using flashing blue lights?

In my area it is now the norm (fashionable) to see the police vehicles driving slowly, especially at nights, through the community with flashing blue lights.

I feel that the police high command should address what I consider to be the police’s excessive use of flashing blue lights. They are getting a lot of flak from citizens for the unwarranted use of flashing blue lights.

Recently a report was made to our local police that men in a car are stealing-goats. The police came with their flashing blue lights and the goat thieves vanished. Some citizens concluded — wrongly I hope — that the police must be part of the goat-stealing ring because they came with flashing lights.

I observed in another community that the police from that zone came through slowly with flashing blue lights. A few minutes later, another police vehicle (not from the area) came through without the flashing light. Some citizens who observed this claimed that the police from the area with the flashing blue lights must have been warning their criminal ‘friends’ of the coming of the other police vehicle.

We cannot outrightly dismiss what some citizens claim. Should the police high command fail to reign in those police officers who continue the unnecessary use of flashing blue lights, even more citizens will be making claims about the police.

Authnel S Reid

reidaut@icloud.com