In response to “Consolidation Needed” (Sound Off, June 15-21): You bring up an interesting point. I have lived in the North Country my whole life, and I know first hand about the law enforcement in this area and in Potsdam. You are right about Clarkson University having their own security force, SUNY Potsdam having its own police force and the state police and sheriff’s department covering the area as well. I think that the ongoing political discussion about whether to dissolve the village or not needs to be thought about in a different perspective. I was charged with a DWI in the village of Potsdam, but the ticket was not issued by village police, and yes, I have friends who have been charged for public urination in the village, and they too were not issued tickets by village police. The point I am trying to make is that there is no need for a village police force. As a budget of $1.6 million, the village force weighs heavily on village taxpayer dollars. I think an alternative proposition to this whole dissolution proposal should be to keep the village government, but just get rid of the police force. Bottom line, if the Potsdam village police force was cut, there is already enough law enforcement and first responders in Potsdam to handle any situation.