To the editor:

When I read that Officer Stuart Peck had been caught lying in court and suspended, I was appalled. One would be a fool to assume that this is an isolated incident. A police officer who will lie to a judge could hold no qualms about committing any number of other crimes.

If this “top cop” who was “voted Officer of the Year” has lied to get a search warrant, then what has the rest of the force been doing? Prosecutor Christine Kenney mentioned “hardships” for her office caused by Peck’s suspension. Imagine the hardship of being wrongly sent to prison because of fraudulent testimony! Severe action must be taken by all parties involved to demonstrate that police perjury absolutely will not be tolerated in Lawrence, not to mention for the department to begin repairing its already weakened credibility (see “Incidents shed light on questionable police conduct,” LJW 7/24/02).

Eric Stuit,

Lawrence