A night of plaudits for the Westminster police

Westminster has had its share of trouble when it comes to police protection.  In recent years, a police chief went to prison for embezzling money.  And financial constraints sliced personnel numbers.  But one city councilman, Danny Duncan, sought last night to clear up any misunderstandings about what he considers to be the quality of the police force these days.  “I just want everybody to know that I don’t have any problems with the police that we have now,” Duncan said at the close of last night’s open session of the council. “They are very community-oriented,” Duncan said.  The councilman referred to officer John Merck as a good example.  Merck was recognized last night as city police of the year.  Chief Rory Jones says one of Merck’s outstanding attributes is his good rapport with members of the public.