In her letter last week, Debby Halliburton questioned whether is it necessary for every officer to carry an assault rifle.

The answer is yes. As a former police officer, it would have been good to have one when you pull up to an active shooting where the house is more than 100 feet from the officer. The officer does not have control to shoot that far with a pistol.

Yes, most calls are property thefts, or relate to drugs, alcohol and mentally unstable people. The most dangerous are domestic violence.

We need more police officers. The sheriff’s office trains new officers and as soon as they finish the police academy, they leave for better-paying jobs.

Debby, you have no idea what a police officer goes through. Maybe you should talk with one.

EDWARD COX

Ocean Park