Daily Talker: 'In God We Trust' Complaints

A police department in a Texas community has placed "In God We Trust" decals on its patrol vehicles in response to recent violence against law enforcement officers, drawing both praise and criticism.

The decision by police this month to unveil the phrase in Childress, Texas, follows a similar move by dozens of other police agencies elsewhere in the country.

Police Chief Adrian Garcia said he decided to add the decals in response to recent attacks on law enforcement personnel that have received broad attention, including the Aug. 28 killing of a sheriff's deputy who was shot 15 times at a Houston-area gas station.

"I think with all the assaults happening on officers across the country ... it's time we get back to where we once were," Garcia told a newspaper.

Other law enforcement agencies have cited different reasons for adding the phrase to their vehicles. Mark Nichols, the sheriff of Randolph County, Missouri, said he had it added to his department's fleet in July out of a sense of patriotism.

But not everyone agrees.

In a letter to Sheriff Nichols, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation stated, "Statements about a god have no place on government-owned cars. Public officials should not use their government position and government property to promote their religious views."

The letter cites the Pew Research Center when it goes on to say that 23 percent of Americans identify as "nonreligious," up 8 percentage points from 2007.

Do you agree with the criticism of a police department for putting 'In God We Trust' decals on cruisers in response to recent violence against officers?

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