I AM Shannon Schieber's uncle. I read Michael Smerconish's column and the family's response. Something striking about the terrible situation surrounding Shannon's death is the difference in attitude that she brought to the world in her life, compared to the attitudes that must lie behind the behavior of your city's government and public agencies.

She built her life around solid principles and high expectations of herself that were reflected in her attitudes, behavior and accomplishments.

In contrast, I have followed a story that involves your police department systematically declassifying crimes to create a falsely positive image of Philadelphia, about groups of citizens being placed in a dangerous environment through lax administration and law enforcement and about a government organization trying to avoid its responsibility to protect its citizens.

Your leaders have tolerated unacceptable behavior within their city organizations and allowed this dangerous environment to exist.

Now, faced with this horrible death, Mr. Smerconish invokes society's right to call for blood. That would have been one more step in the wrong direction.

I think a solution has to begin with people who refuse to tolerate this type of behavior from their institutions and leaders.

I do not believe the death of Troy Graves could have played any substantial role in your efforts to create the type of home you must want for yourselves and your children. I think this is the same exercise that Syl and Vicki went through to conclude that a life sentence without parole would be an appropriate sentence for Graves.

George Schieber
Overland Park, Kan.

After reading the OpEd from the Schiebers on May 29, I was sick. I am also a good Christian (and a retired cop), but if someone killed my daughter, I personally would pull the switch.