In response to the “citizens of Ironton” wanting Rist back on the police force, I think it is quite inaccurate.

I haven’t recalled seeing one petition going around this community requesting the mayor to let it slide — that a police officer of 13 years experience can break the law and walk away with a slap on the hand.

We all have to pay consequences for our mistakes, including if we violate the law.

Thus said, our police department is to set an example for the community while providing an honest squad to abide by laws set forth by the state and federal guidelines of the state of Ohio.

Just because he or she is a police officer, the law applies to them as well.

It’s not the chief of police or the mayor trying to “get rid” of Rist, it’s simply that she broke the law after swearing under oath she was going to abide by the law when graduating the police academy.

The police department of this town is trying to make it a better place by trying to keep teens out of trouble and by setting an example.

How fair is it to our children if we teach them right and wrong when a former police officer disobeyed the law and the code of conduct and took the law into her own hands?

That doesn’t seem just, does it? Why would we want someone who is protecting our streets to be able to bend the rules? That’s not the call of a police officer. It has to go through a system. I can imagine this was difficult for the police department, as well as Ms. Rist.

However, at the end of the day, she violated the law. Point blank. It should be up to the chief of police and the mayor to decide the outcome of the disciplinary actions of this occurrence.

That is what our tax dollars provide — a system. A system that doesn’t put up with any citizen taking the law into his or her hands. This is America.

Everyone is to be treated equal, regardless of the title behind their name along with the years of experience. Laws are still present.

Tina Sammons, Ironton