Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Editorials

Cops face threat of violence daily

Friday evening is the time set aside to recognize the officers of the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department. The Rotary Club's annual Police Recognition Dinner has become a tradition, and a good one. This year, more than ever, we are reminded that every time police officers put on their uniforms, they put their lives on the line.

It's easy to forget that harsh reality in quiet communities like ours. We prefer to believe that the Police Report that runs in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times gives the full picture of local police activity. It's a comfort to think we live in a community where loud party music, a cluster of illegal skateboarders and the occasional petty theft are the biggest problems our cops face.

But this year, local officers were involved in a fatal shootout on one occasion and a car chase through town that ended with a shooting death (involving officers of other law enforcement agencies) weeks later. Just a week after that incident, which closed down Highway 17, local officers were investigating a bloody van by the side of that same highway. The man in the van was charged with the murder of his wife.

We live in violent and unpredictable times. No one knows that better than the officers of the Millbrae Police Department.

Less than a month ago, an officer from that quiet community was killed in the line of duty--gunned down on Highway 101.

Let's hope that all the situations our cops face are as easily solved as party music annoying neighbors, but we shouldn't forget that the threat of violence they face every day is real.

Parking Solutions

When the Town Council meets May 18, the topic on the table is going to be parking. And the goal is to come up with both long-term and short-term solutions.

Really.

In Los Gatos, it's hard to bring up the subject of parking without invoking a roll of the eyes and a shrug.

Now councilmembers say they're ready to face the situation head-on. Good thing. With approval of the new Farwell building behind Lyndon Plaza and the Village House's new incarnation as a nighttime dining spot, parking frustrations will get worse--unless creative solutions are found.

If this effort is really going to produce results, everyone is going to have to be willing to make sacrifices, at least for the short term. Too often in the past, merchants have complained that proposed solutions would cause their employees or their customers inconvenience.

Ultimately, everyone threw their hands up, rolled their eyes and pronounced the parking problem unsolvable.

It's not. But councilmembers need to face the fact that a problem this hard can't be solved without giving some people less than they want.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]