Seeing 6,000 to 9,000 cops running around Watertown, Mass., is not my idea of precision, proactive law enforcement. It was more like a frenzied, knee-jerk cluster of activity.

Were it not for civilians snapping pictures and finding white hat in a Watertown backyard, white hat and the intelligence he can provide may well have been lost.

After being warned by Russian intelligence about black hat, the FBI let him slip through its surveillance. Immigration failed to deport the guy after he was convicted of a crime. Boston police failed to see both bombers leaving unattended back packs and did not have any surveillance cameras around the finish line. Were it not for civilians’ picture-taking, they would have had no idea who the bombers were.

Rather than wait for adequate backup, transit police engaged in a gun battle with the bombers, resulting in another officer being shot, black hat dead along with any intelligence he may have provided, and white hat got away.

Then after bringing in a reported 7,000 cops and National Guard to search for white hat, they didn’t find him. Instead, a homeowner found him in a covered boat in his backyard, a hiding place apparently overlooked by law enforcement.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani described what happened was “textbook law enforcement.” Rep. Peter King from the same state now is advocating for more money for Homeland Security.

What I saw was anything but “textbook” and more proved itself not be better. We need law enforcement to do the kind of job we already have paid them to do and to deploy forces in a more constructive, cost-efficient manner than we saw during this disaster.

Patrick Eisenhart

Augusta

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