The Editor,

Re: "A heartbreaking farewell," the Now, Nov. 22.

It is very difficult for me to visualize the grief and tragedy that Surrey RCMP Const. Adrian Oliver's family are suffering after his death in a car accident.

I am surprised at the media coverage of his demise. There are at least three times as many construction workers die "on the job" as law enforcement officers.

When a construction worker dies "in the line of duty," the death does not receive the headlines that Oliver's death received - and yet the tragedy is equally tragic for the person's surviving family.

At worse, the construction worker's death will receive no media coverage - or, at best, a paragraph in a newspaper.

I have trouble understanding why the death of a police officer ranks as more important than the death of a construction worker.

When a person takes on a position in law enforcement, he/she and their family must realize that there is an element of danger in the job, but in any case, the job is relatively safe as their are very few "incidents."

In either case the surviving family will have to make a very difficult transition in their lives and my sympathy goes out to the family of any person who dies on the job.

Stewart Calder, Surrey