To the editor:

It is a distinct pleasure for me to write to you on behalf of the Suffolk Substitute Teachers’ Association.

We were invited to the official kickoff for the 2016 National Night Out celebration. It was good to be part of the 33rd annual National Night Out, as it unfolded in our city.

As substitute teachers, greeting Mayor Linda T. Johnson was refreshing, as was being reassured by Suffolk Police Chief Thomas E. Bennett that the city’s crime rate had dropped more than 5 percent, compared to last year.

Freddie J. Wiggins

President

Suffolk Substitute Teachers’ Association