I think there is no question that Spc. Osvaldo Hernandez should be allowed to join the NYPD (“Tough war for NYPD candidate,” Nov. 14). The “no comment” from NYPD spokesman Paul Browne and the statement from an unnamed official that the department’s “hands are tied” show a lack of initiative on their part.

Regulations can be changed as fast as the term limits can be changed. As someone who served with an airborne unit in Vietnam, I can attest to the fact that Hernandez had to earn the medals that adorn his uniform. This is a young man who would be a perfect role model for the youth of today.

A. James Tortora,
Staten Island