Law enforcement officers have tough jobs. Their jobs have traditionally been difficult ones.

They deal with problems in society for the rest of us. They usually do so for less than ideal pay, and they risk their lives daily, many times for people they do not know.

Their jobs are made more difficult when the rest of us do not aid and support them.

Perhaps the most baffling situation for many of us to understand is the unwillingness among some people to offer their help, their knowledge or their witness to investigating officers.

We’ve all heard stories in which a person is shot or stabbed in a very public place with lots of people around. When the police begin asking questions, they quickly find their investigation stonewalled by witnesses who simply contend, “I didn’t see anything.”

If one fears the criminal element more than the law enforcement entity, we understand why someone would be hesitant to help.

But the problem is keeping quiet makes the witness a silent accomplice in the crime.

Law enforcement officers must have citizen help to begin cleaning up our area’s crime problem.

We are their eyes and ears.

Without us, they will struggle to a make a significant dent in the crime problems.

With our help and complete support, we all might be amazed at how quickly the criminals can be captured or driven from our community.

We hope the recent rash of violence in our community is a wakeup call to all of us.

The choice of what kind of a community we will all live in is our collective decision.