The shooting death of Tucson police Officer Gabriel Abendano June 11 is an example of the more severe consequences stemming from the corruption and wrongdoing that seems to have infected the Tucson Police Department.

Nine other TPD employees have been suspended, fired or have resigned since November because of a variety of allegations ranging from stealing vehicle registration stickers to drug charges to sexual abuse. And now, Abendano is the newest member of Tucson's bad cop club - shot to death while wearing a ski mask and duct tape on his shoes, in what police say was an attempt to rob the shooter.

All of this misconduct leads us to question how much trust can be placed in the people we are supposed to rely on to protect us.

Obviously, the majority of the department is comprised of good cops. But more than half a dozen officers disciplined in less than a year isn't something to take lightly. A May 23 memo from TPD Chief Doug Smith to City Manager Michael F. Brown indicated as many as 13 officers have or will face serious actions against them because of recent incidents.

The scary thing is that there is no indication of how widespread this corruption is. Has TPD thrown out all the bad apples? Or are there many more that have not yet been uncovered? Since the answer to that question is unknown, who is to say the cop who helps you find your lost child won't do more harm than good?

It's a frightening thought, but one thing is certain - TPD needs to take more steps toward correcting the problem, and these need to be actions clearly visible to the public. Only then will the department start to regain the public's confidence.

So far, Smith has vowed to take actions such as increasing ethics training, utilizing University of Arizona departments for psychological testing, and reviewing the department's Office of Professional Standards, but these things won't immediately combat the problem of dishonest police patrolling the streets.

TPD needs to bring more public input and participation into its day-to-day activities. Smith's plan to divide the department's midtown division, which encompasses most of the area around the UA campus, into 21 beats, rather than the current five, is a step in the right direction. If the proposal is implemented properly, officers will be able to interact personally with residents, giving them a chance to get to know the officers who patrol their neighborhoods.

Smith and his department have a long road to travel. Even though TPD seems to take prompt steps to remedy illegal action within the department, trust is not something easily earned, and this is a situation that the public can not be expected to "forgive and forget."

Staff Editoral