Re: “Special police team faces scrutiny,” (Jan. 23).

I fully understand we are a free country and have been blessed with those freedoms. I’m also very thankful for troopers like Trooper Darcy. Some of our freedom are worth giving over to those who are hired to do so as long as we have good oversight to watch over them.

Maine had 504 drug overdose deaths in 2020. Our police have to use every tool available to put an end to this ever growing tragedy, even though it might impose on our right to know. Putting an end to this madness needs all of our support and pulling out all strings to accomplish it. The pain caused by not doing so is far greater than the pain caused. I may have more confidence in the state police, the criminal justice academy’s trustees and the A.G.’s office than I should, but they have not not given me any reason to question them. We, the general public do not need to know how they do everything as it gives the criminals a heads up. History proves that to be true.

I have to believe that if we didn’t dramatize incidents like mass shootings and give the event so much publicity, we’d have less copycat incidents. But then again, that’s the price we pay for our freedoms. And, I have no family members involved with or any conflict of interest with any law enforcement employee in this state.

Cal Brown

Litchfield