Letter to the Editor: Proposed merger of city and county police forces is a recipe for chaos.

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by C. Dennis Ohlert of Decorah):

"Apparently the City Council doesn't care to be bothered with the public safety and well-being of the citizens of Decorah.  What do they think farming these duties out will save?  They'll still have to have a minimum of 14 officers over and above the staffing of the Sheriff's Office to give the town the coverage and security it currently has.  Or is the plan to have a Sheriff's deputy just cruise through once in a while?  Sounds like a recipe for chaos in the streets to me.

Using their apparent money-saving "logic", I have a few suggestions:  turn the City street maintenance over to the County Engineer's Office and Parks and Rec over to the County Conservation Board.  And while we're at it how about turning governance of the City of Decorah over to the County Board of Supervisors?

The last one would stop the turmoil and controversy the current Council creates every few months."