I served 30-plus years in Vermont law enforcement before retiring in 2019 as the chief of police in Norwich. I still live in the Upper Valley and keep in touch with several close friends I made while serving in Norwich.

I would like to send a shout-out to the extremely generous Norwich residents who are offering their own money to make up the police budget deficiency created by the Selectboard. So many have opened their wallets so that the police department can continue to serve the community and continue to interact with the families with police-community activities.

I wish Chief Jennifer Frank well as she transitions from Norwich to Windsor, a town with a Selectboard that supports its police department and gives the chief the tools needed to perform the job. Unlike the Norwich Selectboard, Windsor’s realizes that police are needed now more than ever, given instances of serious crime in surrounding communities and tragic instances of drug abuse and mental health crisis in the area. Norwich is not immune.

Every day the police confront situations and realities that most civilians are able to turn away from. Police officers are required to be protectors, counselors, diplomats, administrators and teachers as they confront difficult, challenging and, sadly, sometimes tragic and heartbreaking issues while being asked to do more and more with fewer resources.

As a result, police respond to, and are witness to, tragic and sometimes deadly events, and those events and images are carried throughout their years, both on and off duty. Police deserve our support and cooperation as they carry out their difficult but necessary mission. I can tell you from personal experience that there are instances that I will never, ever forget and that I think of every day. This is not uncommon for police officers who respond to these calls.

The residents of the Upper Valley should be aware of the outstanding service provided both courageously and compassionately by the area’s law enforcement agencies. There is no way to accurately measure the enormous good done by the police, the lives saved, the vulnerable protected, the victims comforted and the predators apprehended. It is important those good works are allowed to continue.

We see every day the evil that some are capable of inflicting on others. Imagine sending the message to those who commit such acts that fewer police officers are on duty capable of responding in a timely manner. Any reduction in police forces and budgets would be damaging and should be rejected by the majority of our law-abiding residents.

Those who support cutting police budgets and who think instead those funds should be allocated to social welfare programs should realize that we cannot simply spend or re-appropriate our way out of difficult issues and threats to law and order. Those selectboard members who are jumping on the bandwagon to “defund the police” (for lack of a better term) are making reckless, irresponsible and dangerous decisions that will affect us all.

We can also be aware that policing is not a perfect science and that offenses can indeed be committed by an officer. Those offenses deserve to be fully, fairly and swiftly adjudicated within our justice system. But we should also recognize the enormous damage that can occur if the message is sent that we no longer support our police and have doubts about the value of their work.

Our police are often our last defense between good and evil. With that in mind, I offer thanks and appreciation to all of the area’s law enforcement agencies. We do not have control over whether good or bad will visit our communities or homes. What we do have control over is whether the good people of law enforcement will be able to rise to our defense, and to “Protect and Serve.”

I thank you for allowing me to vent. Good luck, Chief Frank. Leaving Norwich is a great loss for Norwich but a great gain for Windsor. Thank you to all of our area law enforcement agencies. Stay safe. We need you.

Doug Robinson, of Orford, served as police chief in Norwich for 14 years.