TO THE EDITOR:
The social media presence of the Texarkana, Texas Police Department is appalling. On Facebook, they regularly posts mug shots of and "funny" stories about the people they have arrested. How does that "serve and protect" anyone? I want to remind the department that they are supposed to work for the people of this community, including those who have broken laws. If the police department must be on social media (which is debatable), they should use the platform to promote public safety, not to ridicule the people they supposedly aim to serve. If they want to write asinine and malicious things on the internet, they can do it on their own accounts and on their own time--not while they're on the clock, earning salaries that are significantly higher than the local median, and for which we the taxpayers are footing the bill.
Ellen Orr
Texarkana, Texas