"I read in amazement the comments made by former reporter John Berry about the San Manuel tribe and James Ramos (Oct. 29).

Let us get some facts straight first, and take Mr. Berry's spin off of what he writes. Eric and Stacy Barajas "are" in prison. They were sentenced to prison terms after they were tried and convicted on charges stemming from the cases Berry talks about. They were confined to house arrest while out on bail awaiting trial for the same cases - something that every person in this country is entitled to during the legal process.

I am a retired captain with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. I have had dealings with the San Manuel tribe since 1979, all the way up until I retired as the captain in command at Central Station, the sheriff's station that dealt directly with the San Manuel tribe on a day to day basis, 24/7.

During that time, almost 33 years, I nor any of the deputy sheriffs working directly with the tribe have ever been "blocked" from fighting crime there. Berry makes it sound as if the San Manuel tribe put up some sort of barrier to keep law-enforcement agencies from getting onto the reservation. This is a totally irresponsible statement."

Get the Story:
Gerrit Tesselaar: Irresponsible attack (The San Bernardino Sun 11/2)

Another Opinion:
John Berry: Ramos turned tax-free dollars into a political empire (The San Bernardino Sun 10/30)