Show Peace Important Officers Important People I AST week end Utah peace officers held the iI LAST annual convention o of their association at Provo It was generally reg regarded as the associations association's as 4 most successful gathering with a considerably greater interest attendance and 0 In Utah I Is Visual Jal evi T That is I l a slIm It the den dence f of pr progress In gess-In In the he profession of oZ law en j Far too much In the past has the role of the peace officer been made light of ot Far too often have our peace officers been chosen for brawn rather than brains Far too much have their Jobs been used by the politicians to pay payi i bad political debts It Is time that officials and public gave the peace officers their rightful place In the ranks of the trained professions The job ob of the peace officer Is b by no means an easy one to to- day T Ike ike everything else In this scientific fast t moving age the task of law enforcement has l become constantly more complicated It re re- I quirles more than a and a strong right arm to be a good peace officer these days It takes brains as well veli as brawn learning as aswell aswell well as experience And It takes something more With the greater complexity of life and anda a vast Increase In the number of laws there are far more opportunities for br both corruption and the exercise of arbitrary power by law enforcement en officers To avoid these pitfalls it itIs itIs itis is more necessary than ever before that peace rc h HO be men of hI h standards with standards with a professional attitude and a code of ethics governing gov their conduct The Utah Peace Officers' Officers association has taken a lead ead in this state in the effort to pro pro- the position of the peace officer raising standards increasing training and skill and giving the able and well qualified law enforcement en officers thus developed a greater measure of security than they have had here here- Everyone recognizes the folly of spending time and money to train army and navy officers officers off cers and men and then sending them all packIng pack pack- Ing to find employment as truck drivers clerks or ditch diggers and putting in their place a bunch of raw recruits whenever there is a change of national administrations ns It is just as ridiculous to change law enforcement enforcement en en- enforcement officers with every shifting political breeze In a city county or state After all these law enforcement officers are just as important to the national security as are army and navy men These latter protect protect pro pro- the nation fr from m external dang danger r. r The peace officers protect the nation from internal danger They are the force upon which society so so- clety depends for the protection of its ordered just and free existence in a democratic government gov gov- of law law of of justice and equality for all It is our peace officers who keep the peace Internally just as army and navy keep the peace externally They see to It that the laws are obeyed They protect the weak from the ruthless aggression of the strong They keep down racketeers and gangsters and others who seek to exercise arbitrary rule over the com- com Right now they are very Imp important as the first line of defense against enemy agents seeking to undermine and destroy our American government from within These peace officers are therefore very Important people The manner in which they fulfill fulfil their responsibilities has reaching far J effects on our whole society and way of life They should be encouraged in every way to do dothe dothe dothe the best job of which they are capable as protectors protectors protectors pro pro- and defenders of our democratic system The Telegram congratulates the peace officers officers officers' off I. I cers' cers association on the splendid work It is doIng do do- Ing and trusts It will continue Its efforts with public and official support to make Utah's peace officers the finest body of law enforcement enforce enforce- ment officers In the nation skilled in their profession pro pro- t and cognizant of their great y 0 |