I want to lend my support to the upcoming City of Des Moines Levy Lid Lift for our Police Department. It seems to me that the amount asked is a small price to pay for getting the crime rate, which has risen 20 percent since 2004, under control here in Des Moines.

The amount of tax increase will about 44 cents per $1,000 assessed value. On an average home valued at $250,000 the increase would be roughly $10 per month -- the equivalent of a small drink and a bag of popcorn at the movies!

The police department has been working hard to keep the crime rate down, and has had some success. It is a known fact that more officers on the street means more arrests and less crime.

We need to pass this levy and support the Police Department by hiring more police to replace the six lost in 1999. We can help keep our City a safer place to live in, work in, and raise our children and grandchildren better protected from risk of harm.

Doris Lee Dimick

Des Moines