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As reported in Tuesday's addition of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, the city's police department has added two electric bicycles to its -- for lack of a better term -- motor pool.
We wish it was as easy for our police to meet what we believe is their most urgent need.
To be clear, we commend the Williamsport Bureau of Police for the addition of electric bicycles, and we expect that they will serve well as another tool our police officers use to patrol Williamsport's streets. We respect that our police force strives to be innovative and thorough in using every tool possible to address crime in our city.
But, as we have editorialized before, what we too often see our police truly needing is not something that can be added to the department's budget or acquired through a federal or state grant. It isn't something that a mayor can propose at a committee meeting and council members can vote upon.
It's cooperation.
Over the years, if not decades, we too often hear from police and prosecutors that the greatest challenge in solving crimes and arresting and prosecuting criminals is the unwillingness of the public to share vital information.
We hope that will change. We hope witnesses will be more forthright in reaching out to police after crimes are committed to answer questions and provide information.
Our local police -- both in the Williamsport Bureau of Police and in the ranks of state police and other municipal and regional departments -- have made impressive efforts at community outreach. We thank the leadership of these departments for recognizing the necessity of community engagement and for their tireless efforts to be a part of our neighborhoods and communities.
We wish we can say that the community has been as willing to engage -- especially when it most matters, when the safety and security of their neighbors is shattered by violent or invasive crime.
We can only hope instead that our community improves -- and that from this day forward, more people accept the importance of sharing information with our police.