Horrific incidents like the Jan. 10 death of Tyre Nichols resulting from an encounter with Memphis, Tenn., police put pressure on law enforcement departments across America not to fall victim to similar tragic circumstances and outcomes.

It remains the opinion of millions of Americans that despite the Memphis department’s correct moves in the aftermath of Nichols’ death, department leaders and the elected officials who oversee it erred seriously by not monitoring the work and attitudes closely enough of officers assigned to the department unit in question.

Now, unfortunately, good police who pride themselves on professionalism, self-discipline, self-control and solid judgment — the attributes on display daily in departments across Blair County — are in too many instances in this country being looked upon suspiciously, with eroded confidence and generally decreased respect.

But, amid all that, Mirror readers this week received a couple of glimpses of upbeat vision and attitudes within the overall scope of police work here that too often become lost within the daily drumbeat of crimes, arrests, court trials and sentencings.

Hopefully, readers will continue to reflect on those glimpses as they continue to exude relief that terrible situations like the one in Memphis and, before that, in places such as Ferguson, Missouri; Oakland, California; New York; and Baltimore, Maryland; have not “visited” cities or other jurisdictions in close proximity to Altoona.

The glimpses referred to above help to explain why.

“New chief seeking closer ties to public” was a front-page headline in the Mirror’s Jan. 30 edition. Beside that article was a photo and article dealing with a Polar Plunge that raised $100,000 for Special Olympics — an event in which officers of the Altoona Police Department were among the approximately 250 participants.

First, about closer police ties to the general public:

Logan Township’s new chief, Dave Hoover, has the right idea in advocating that his department’s personnel interact with the community not only regarding the criminal behavior with which they unfortunately have to deal, but also within the daily course of law-abiding, positive and meaningful activities in which residents engage.

“I want to focus on having the guys get out into the community,” Hoover said.