Dear Editor: In less than a year and a half, peace officers in Travis County have shot and killed three people in separate incidents. (Two were killed by APD, one by a county officer.) Since all three of the dead were black, the question has arisen: What are the odds that mere chance was the reason three blacks were killed, but no one else? According to the U.S. Census, about 12% of Austin's population is African-American. Basic statistical calculation shows that the probability of all three victims being black by mere chance is less than one quarter of a percent. (Interested parties may reach me for details.) Though no one intends to be racist in their work, an obvious racial disparity is emerging at the level of life and death. What actions will Travis County and APD take to stop this pattern from continuing? Will officers' associations and individual officers take an increased responsibility for preventing this pattern?