We can understand the Jamestown City Council’s thinking in not paying to send Capt. Robert Samuelson to the FBI National Academy for training this summer.

The city has seen a spike in gun crimes that has many city residents concerned. We’re sure constituents have reached out to council members with their concerns. And, the request’s timing could not have been worse since, during the same voting session, the council was being asked to approve the hiring of three additional police officers with a stated purpose of working to decrease incidents of gun violence in Jamestown.

Approving the two-month training would certainly have been bad optics.

There are two reasons, in our opinion, why the council should reconsider this request.

First, the city’s staffing is such in most departments that one could argue no city employee should be sent for training. The city hired four firefighters Monday to man a yet-to-be-purchased ambulance, yet also approved training for the city’s associate corporation counsel, two firefighters and two police officers. The only difference is the length of the training — a few days as opposed to the two-month FBI training.

That brings us to our second point. Gun violence is an issue. But the lengthier FBI training could give Samuelson additional knowledge he can bring back to Jamestown to further help solve the gun violence problem and one of its root causes, the trade of illicit drugs in our neighborhoods.

Tim Jackson, city police chief and public safety director, said Samuelson’s absence won’t jeopardize public safety or hurt the department’s operations. Other department leaders would pick up the slack during Samuelson’s absence, just as happens in the private sector.

In our opinion, the council should take a second look at this request.