The following letter was shared with Safer Boulder and published in the Daily Camera on April 14, 2021.
I was taken aback by a recent community board editorial on Boulder Downtown Crime, where Masyn Moyer disparaged Chief Maris Herold, suggesting her reaction to rising downtown crime is simply part of an, “escalating political agenda.” This tone deaf, and, ironically, politically motivated comment comes as our community continues to mourn the victims of the King Sooper’s shooting, including BPD Officer Eric Talley.
The Boulder community has come together to express extreme gratitude for our police officers who displayed grace in the face of danger. Most officers, like Eric Talley and Chief Herold, chose a profession in law enforcement due to a higher calling and a desire to keep all community members safe.
Police Chief Joel Bryden from Walnut Creek, California couldn’t have expressed this any better in a recent letter to the Wall Street Journal:
“‘And give thanks for men such as Eric Talley, who didn’t lose his life at that Boulder grocery store. He gave it.’
Every day in this country, thousands of police officers put on their uniforms and engage with people from every part of our society. And for every video the media runs that appears to show misconduct by a member of law enforcement, there are hundreds and likely thousands of acts of bravery, kindness and selflessness that officers perform every single day that never get recognized by anyone other than the recipients of those courageous acts. The men and women of law enforcement, just like officer Eric Talley, will put themselves in harm’s way for people they don’t know, don’t have a relationship with and who possibly don’t like them.
Perhaps now is not the time for divisive political rhetoric and instead the time to come together for the safety of our community.
Aelise Dahl
Boulder