I do appreciate that the professional police and emergency services in Santa Monica. We surely need it. But I sometimes think the emergency services impose themselves on us with their militaristic pomp and circumstance, with their exaggerated mourning of those who loose their lives too early, and their shiny, over-specified vehicles. I personally would prefer emergency services which are more professional, and less ceremonial, more accountable for their work for the community, and not held up as some kind of special heroes in shiny boots. If we continue to treat the emergency services as religious icons for communal adoration, then we are in danger of losing control over a part of our city services which has always been good at finding pathways to the public purse. SMPD are working only three days of the week, 12.5 hr shifts, and some raise the question if this is good for the community, or just good for the police officer? When a police motorcycle drives into a car in front, as happened on PCH recently, then this is not a cause for public celebration, but for learning lessons. They are professionals, and should be evaluated as such, and not celebrated as saviors of our city. Uniformed arrogance anybody?