Editorials:

It’s been a rough few months for the Police Department. Lawsuits alleging internal harassment and racial discrimination, an FBI probe and investigation by the Los Angeles County sheriff, not to mention all the discord on the Police Commission, have likely taken a toll on the rank-and-file of Burbank’s finest.

But there was a dose of validation this week after a report to the Police Commission revealed notable reductions in major crimes across the city, a drop that command staff were quick to attribute to good police work.

When headlines and political hoopla balloon amid revelations of outside investigations and internal strife, it’s easy to forget that police work on the ground level continues every day, carried out by dedicated officers, the vast majority of whom have no connection to the maelstrom taking place on a very public stage.

Robberies were down, as were auto thefts, by 40% for the year. Drunk driving rates also fell 24%, and response times remain low, according to the report. Sexual assaults were up, but officers said most of the victims knew or were in relationships with their assailants.

For a department mired in investigations and lawsuits, the benefits of a vigilant and active police force in Burbank should be commended. It’s natural to focus on the negative, to want to fix what’s seemingly broken, but let’s not let the squeaky wheel detract from what appears to be an otherwise effective operation.