This is a good thing. The Fishers Police Dept. openly is soliciting your feedback. States the department: “As part of an ongoing accreditation process through the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, FPD again is conducting a citizen’s feedback survey.” The survey addresses specific questions regarding previous citizen contact with Fishers police as well as perceptions of safety in our neighborhoods and business areas. The department’s goal is to “achieve and maintain the highest level of quality service for our residents and visitors.” The department stated it believes involvement from citizens is indispensable in the FPD’s continued work to promote effectual police services and protection to all members of the community. Please, take a moment of your time to help the department by completing the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/FPD2014Survey. This is yet another way our soon-to-be city government is attempting to involve the citizenry, hopeful that it will add up to an even brighter future. We urge you to seize the opportunity.
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One of us is a former word guy, having spent the vast majority of his newspaper career on the news side of the business. He was a reporter, then an editor and lastly a department head. So, when The Associated Press tweeted last week that its new stylebook would allow the use of “over” when meaning “more than” or “during,” we both shuddered. This is simply the continuing degradation of grammar in America. In general, our countrymen comprise a lazy lot with respect to English usage, so Americans typically say, “It’s over $100,” when they mean, “It’s more than $100.” How about “over the weekend”? It should be “during the weekend,” Over is a spatial term, plain and simple. This, however, is a war we will not win – except with respect to its use in your newspaper. Otherwise, and succinctly stated, we’re over it.
