Mailbag: Please don't reduce number of cops

In response to the online article, "Police Restructuring Plans to be Presented" (June 9): I am worried about cuts to the Police Department and public safety in our community. Our Police Department has worked closely with our neighborhood here on the Eastside to reduce speeding traffic and to reduce criminal activity in our more densely populated areas.

How will these cuts impact us and the city at large? And will they turn back all of the efforts our neighborhood has made with the city to reduce crime and speeders on our streets? Will we suffer a reduction in patrol and traffic enforcement?

Just a few years ago, the then-City Council and police chief prioritized community policing, and weren't just applying reactionary law enforcement. Have the council priorities changed? There are so many unanswered questions.

Please don't make rash decisions about cuts to our Costa Mesa Police Department that will reduce police services and community-oriented policing.

Katie Arthur

Costa Mesa

Lido's rehab home smokers

Some months ago, I shared with the City Council my experience of going to Zpizza in Lido Village for lunch and being smoked out by a group of swearing rehab clients who took control of the area outside of the restaurant where I was eating. They littered the area with their cigarette butts and coffee cups before leaving.

Sadly, my current experience of spending time in my neighborhood and endeavoring to support our local merchants is the same. Morningside Recovery is a rehab operator that is continually out of compliance with the regulations that govern rehab businesses in our city.

Why is our city continuing to allow this scofflaw to operate illegally and make a mockery of our local government and our community?

Linda Klein

Newport Beach

Questions about poll results

I've been looking into the polling work that was presented by the City Council at its study session last week. That poll had literally nothing to do with Costa Mesa.

Look at the facts: According to the pollster, the poll was conducted throughout Orange County with a sampling of 325 surveys yielding a margin of error of 5.7% and a 95% degree of confidence.

The problem is that Costa Mesa is only a very small percentage of Orange County. In fact, it only has 3.55% of the county's voters. Statistically, the poll sample for Costa Mesa would be about 11.5 surveys!

There is no pollster in America who would claim any degree of confidence with only 12 surveys. I even called the people at Gallup, and they laughed at the thought.

Let's stop using made up polling and a made-up financial crisis to promote a political agenda. The citizens of Costa Mesa deserve better.

Marti Simons

Costa Mesa