Writer upset by use of ‘cop’

To the editor: A few weeks ago there was an article in the paper honoring Dale Sleeter as Woodland Village Resident of the Month. In the article it stated he was hired as a traffic cop. It should have read he was hired as a member of the Oconto County Traffic Police. Years ago it was derogatory to call a police officer a cop. The traffic police were somewhat separate from the sheriff’s department, only patrolling roads, handling accidents, catching speeders, etc. and handling only an occasional domestic call. Most domestic problems, which were not as numerous as now, were handled by the sheriff, undersheriff, village and town constables, and civilian deputies. The article also stated he worked a part-time job because cops didn’t make a lot of money, which was true, as the starting wage was only $325 per month. As a former member of the Oconto County Traffic Police and Oconto Falls Police Department in the 1960s, it upsets me every time I see the word cop instead of policeman or police officer in the newspaper or on TV. Alan Christopherson, Oconto Falls