Retired police chief urges coordinating profiles of shooters and the mentally ill
Develop special unit
As a retired chief of police with more than 45 years of law enforcement experience, the only thing I can say about school shooters is “mental illness”!
We have long overlooked this, dropping it in the laps of local law enforcement. It’s time it is addressed.
We developed specialized units to compile data on serial killers to analyze, track, arrest and assist in their prosecutions.
It is time for the FBI to develop a unit that specializes in compiling data on school shooters and share their findings with local law enforcement.
I believe the FBI has the expertise and personnel to develop an algorithm to search firearm purchase databases and compare this data with mental health records.
I further believe that the FBI should be mandated to provide local law enforcement agencies with profiles of discovered individuals for further investigation.
In the interim, we have billions of unspent dollars issued to cities and towns for COVID relief. This money should be directed to fund school security plans, train teachers and coordinate local law enforcement programs to enhance student safety. We could also place a trained officer in almost every U.S. school.
Our children are worth it.
Anthony Scott, St. Helena Island
Up to the task
Our country’s present status is a compendium of odious challenges.
Gas prices are up, building supplies are scarce, airlines are canceling flights, businesses are cutting back hours, the Bear is running on Wall Street, and one may have to consider taking out a small personal loan for the next trip to the grocery store.
So why be optimistic?
If you look back at what made this country great, it was the opportunity offered. Opportunity allowed folks with grit who started with nothing to succeed.
That opportunity is still very much alive, and I have every confidence in the tenacity of the overwhelming majority of Americans.
These individuals span the generations, having a laser focus on goals, a willingness to achieve through honest hard work and forestalling gratification. They do not look to society for sustenance, but rely on their work ethic and talents to succeed, and, in turn, will give several fold back to the community.
There is every reason to believe that these perspicacious masses will rise to the present challenges and not only right the ship, but make such astounding innovative contributions, our present state will look like an execrable historical memory.
Peter Kristian, Hilton Head
For shame
With everything going on in this state/county, the best Sunday headline you could come up with has to do with hurricanes? Really?
Is that the most important thing our “governor” said in the last few days? Shame on him and you.
Joel Lerner, Bluffton
Electric car woes
Have all the consequences of electric car ownership been thought through?
Example: You’re on 95 heading to grandma’s for her birthday. Your battery needs charging. It’s lunch time and 200 miles to go. You stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch and plug your car in for an hour of charging time, and sit down to eat.
A selfish type pulls in to get a 20-minute charge, disconnects you and plugs in his car, forgetting to replug yours.
You finish lunch, go to unplug, and it is all ready. But you get in car and have no juice.
LaMar Acuff, Bluffton