In your issue of October 2 you kindly published a letter from me in which I invited Councillor Susan Hall to say if the council officers responsible for enforcing the traffic laws had slapped a fine on the police officer captured making an illegal right turn by your photographer,and the borough commander whether he had disciplined that officer ['Not a fair cop for motorist'].
Six weeks on, neither the council-lor nor the chief superintendent has had the courtesy to respond, either through the pages of the Observer or directly to me.
It is, therefore, safe to assume that the answer to both questions is "no".
Nearly 35 years as a local newspaper journalist has taught me that if those who consider themselves above the general public (or "little people" as the police routinely refer to us) refuse to answer a legitimate question it is because to do so would either incriminate them or expose them to shame.
Those who take it upon themselves to impose or enforce laws against the rest of us have an absolute duty to obey both the letter and the spirit of those laws.
Lawmakers and enforcers who break the law, or refuse to act promptly and openly against colleagues or underlings who do, give up all moral right to insist that the rest of us obey the law or to punish us if we don't.
That goes for everyone,from probationary constables to the commissioner,from junior municipal clerks to members of the council cabinet.
CHARLIE HARRIS
Woodlands North Harrow
