One hesitates to criticize our police officers in the shadow of the tragedy in Oakland last weekend. As I write this, four families are burying their fallen heroes -- sons, fathers, brothers and husbands, police officers all, shot down by a career criminal being sought for allegedly raping a child.

Anyone who reads this space on a regular basis knows that your loyal correspondent is a consistent supporter of our local police agencies. The vast majority of our officers are honorable, hardworking and dedicated to protecting the rest of us from the bullies and thugs of our community -- willing to shield any of us with their own flesh and blood.

The work they do is unpredictable, with the possibility of unforeseen violence erupting at any time during their shift -- as we were reminded anew in Oakland.

So they deserve every penny that we can afford to pay them.

Having written that, though, it bears pointing out that in the city of Escondido, what we can afford to pay them right now isn't as much as we could afford to pay them last year or the year before. The city is getting hammered by the ongoing recession, and cuts have been made across the board.

Which led the Escondido Police Officers' Assocation to send out its now-well-reported mailer to city residents earlier this month arguing that the City Council was abandoning the city to street gangs with its proposal (since adopted) to include police officers in the benefit reductions affecting all city employees as the city struggles to rebalance its budget.

While the mailer has been criticized in some quarters for supposedly being racist (the pictured gang members were all Latino), my take on it was a little different. To me, it screamed weakness.

Taking the flier at face value, I'll accept the EPOA's argument that there are six gang members in town for every police officer.

And my reaction is, so what?

I'd like to think that every one of our highly trained, equipped and organized police officers can keep tabs on at least six gang members through the course of a year. They have the law and the support of most of their fellow citizens on their side, along with intelligence about the gangs that gives them the upper hand.

There's also the fact that, like the rest of us, most gang members have no desire to go to prison.

So a ratio of 6:1 between gang members and police officers hardly seems out of sorts -- what are they suggesting, a 1:1 ratio?

Which brings us back to the EPOA's flier, and the police union's attorney, Dieter Dammeier of Upland. It was Dammier who, two weeks ago, warned the City Council that "This flier was just the beginning."

It's a free country, and our police officers have certainly earned the right to have their say in the rough and tumble of local politics.

My only hope, though, is that whatever tactic the police take next (now that their 401(k) contributions have been cut, along with longevity raises), they show both more imagination and more strength.

You're not going to get the public on your side by arguing that you're too weak to stand up to the criminals.

Contact staff writer Jim Trageser at jtrageser@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5408.