Dear Editors:

The Newton County Board of Education and the Covington Police Department both have one thing in common: Both are given assigned tasks, and each is given taxpayer funds to perform these assignments for the benefit of the general public.

The Board of Education has the duty to educate and graduate students. The board has failed miserably in both these tasks. Their overall student achievement test scores have been below average or on the bottom forever. Their graduation rate (even with cooking the books) is horrible.

The Covington Police Department’s assigned task is to protect its citizens, prevent crimes and solve crimes. All someone has to do is review the statistical websites that pertain to the crime rates and the number of crimes in Covington.

The city of Covington is the leader of the pack in the number of crimes pertaining to theft, burglary and robbery. These are the crimes that affect households and families.

If they actually solve a crime, it is a rarity. Drugs run rampant with storage, drug houses and street pushers. They are praised to high heaven when they arrest a street user with a joint. They can’t seem to find a drug house, much less raid one.

Both of the entities have been void of leadership for so many years until the general public of Newton County accepts their failures as the norm. Currently, Newton County is mired in mediocrity.

All of the above statements are true; all one has to do is perform their own research — a good place to start would be an examination of the arrest records that are routinely printed in both our local newspapers.

Andrew (Andy) Lewis, U.S. Army Ret’d.

Covington