Yesterday in the Tacoma area tens of thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects to four police who were shot in cold blood. Besides the obvious tragedy we’ve felt, it’s been interesting for us to note the differences in law enforcement and the relationship between cops and communities here and in Mexico.

Burning police truck in Otumba

This link is to a community outside Mexico City (about 20 minutes from the Nevins’ house) called Otumba. Two police agents arrived at a school to with an arrest warrant for a teacher accused of “actos libinidosos”, I assume for molestation of some sort. People in the community got wind of what happened, rang the church bell and 500 people attacked the agents and were in the process of lynching them (saying they were kidnappers and the people in the community were “sick of the crime in the community”) when 1000 state security agents had to bust in to free them, in the process losing a couple trucks that people threw gas on and lit.
Incidentally, Otumba is a place we had a run in this April with corrupt cops who effectively robbed us.
Sooooo, we’re awfully thankful for the four cops who gave their lives and for the many more who serve honestly and with integrity. “Fire in Otumba” is a reminder of what you get when police are neither honest, competent nor trusted by their communities. “Protect and serve” is a great motto. Oh, that it were true in Mexico (and many other countries around the world).

So we are thankful for our police here and deeply feel for the four families who lost their loved ones in Lakewood.