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Law enforcement, your experience? Good or Bad?

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/10/16 12:38 pm**

There was once an ongoing feud on ACTS between the Chancellor and Memory about law enforcement. The Chancellor seemed to believe most police were ego run, and power hungry, while Mem was pro law enforcement, 100%.

In my 77 years the BAD experiences I have had were traffic violations.
I am not a fast driver. I have had 5 tickets in my life, 3 were deserved but two were out and out lies. I and my witnesses were practically laughed out of court. Once in Shelby, NC the Judge even said, "Do you know how many times a day I hear, 'I am not guilty' every day? And like this time, most times I believe the officer, YOU are Guilty!

I left the court that day as a young marine in uniform, wanting to shoot up the town, seriously.

I have a son who would run The Chancellor a good race in his opinion of law enforcement and it comes from an experience I remember well from his youth. I was there and learned a HUGE lesson, there is morally right and legally right.

Let me say right off, no matter what I know and have experienced, I am pro law enforcement. If we had no police, I would be afraid to live in this great country. Cool

_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 **7/10/16 1:53 pm**

About 40 years ago a friend and I went fishing and had a 6 pack of beer. we fished all day , drank the beer and was heading home that night.

We had picked up all of our beer cans and threw them in the back floorboard of my car. I made a wrong turn on a one way street and was pulled over. The policeman issued me a ticket for illegal transportation of alcohol because there was a few drops left in the cans. The only ticket I have ever got and it cost me $40 back then. I learned a lesson ... either dont drink beer or leave your garbage .. Laughing

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **7/10/16 2:23 pm**

In all the ole timers years, I aint had but 2 instances where the cop was a smart aleck an belligerent. But I had enough sense when I was stopped not to become belligerent an a smart aleck my own self. I had enough sense not to pull a gun on a cop. I had enough sense to say yes sir and no sir, to respect the cop's authority, an to not act like a stupid thug.

Hey, I know they is bad cops, just like they is bad preachers. But for ever Pearly Paulk Jr you got 100 men a God in the trenches livin holy sanctified lives doin the right thing. An for ever dirty cop, they is a heap a law enforcement riskin their lives to give me the freedom I got.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **7/10/16 2:58 pm**

I will just say that after my encounters with law enforcement, I have a lower opinion of them, generally speaking, than I did before.

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **7/10/16 3:10 pm**

I have had good and bad experiences...more good than bad.

I have received tickets I deserved and that I did not.

I have been given far more grace than justice from them though, especially considering the times I was speeding, running too close from the caution to the red light or slowing down rather than stopping at a stop sign.

And you can catch a lot more flies with honey than you can lemons Wink

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/10/16 5:20 pm**

Most adults know how to be respectful even in nasty situations. In my 'bad' situations of course I was respectful. I have heard a 'Yes Sir' said like "YOUCAN KISS MINE." It sorta rubs a man the wrong way.

I had a young marine driving my car as we were leaving Camp Lejeune. I saw a state patrol do a U turn and head for us. I told Mickey to pull over and wait. We did. The patrolman was very nice and asked to see Mickey's license.
Mickey being a smart Alec, said, "Which one officer, drivers, pilots, fishing,,,,," That was a far as he got. the door came open and that big cop pulled Mickey out by the collar and slapped him up against the car.
Mickey showed him his Driver's license. Wink

The patrolman was looking for a car like mine that had been stolen. No ticket of course, but we were wondering if Mickey was going on home with us. LOL
_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **7/10/16 5:29 pm**

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/10/16 5:50 pm**

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **7/10/16 5:54 pm**

I've had some good, some bad. I've come to realize that they aren't always the best people to call if you're having trouble. I've also had my son get tackled and have a gun put in his back at 15 years old because he was toilet-papering a house, so I don't tend to believe the "only black kids get treated rough". But I have to take my African American brothers and sisters' word for it that they at least "feel" that they are threatened more than their share. I wish I could do something for them to change that, but I think it will take a few generations. I'm sure there was a time in America, especially the South when it was all to true, and those parents probably passed down a certain amount of skepticism to their children that might take a few generations to overcome. The whole concept of Police has its problems, but I believe ours are the best the world has ever known. Many countries in the world today live in fear of their own police 100% of the time. I hope and pray that is not what is coming to America (but I'm sure if we keep electing leaders that try to make us a third-world, that is exactly what we'll get).

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/10/16 6:13 pm**

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 **7/10/16 7:20 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **7/10/16 7:22 pm**

I've probably told this story before, but it's probably been a while, so I'll rehash it. I feel reasonably certain one of the cops taking the report when I wrecked doing a paper route stole a $20 bill from the manila envelope I had in the front floorboard. Some dear lady had taken me to get a drink of water and get my bloodied face cleaned up. While I was gone, the cops got there, and one stapled the envelope all around (which was weird). The money was just crammed into the envelope where I had been collecting from the convenience stores. I'm sure they thought I wouldn't miss a $20. Even though the bills weren't neatly stacked, I had invoices to tell me exactly how much money I was to collect.
I never reported it, though. The wreck was a traumatic incident, it was my fault, but I wasn't ticketed (even though I had been fairly snarky during the process). I guess at the time I just wanted to get it all behind me, but if I think about it, I still consider it an injustice. When Chief Charging Battery got there, one of the cops asked him about why I acted the way I had and he told them some cops had stopped by our apartment a few months prior and given me a hard time. And that's another story...

There wasn't anything I had done wrong, but the cops woke me up one Saturday morning. Chief Charging Battery was not yet home from his paper route. When I saw the cops, I thought they were coming to tell me Chief Charging Battery had been killed in a car wreck. So my nerves were falling apart by the time I grabbed a robe and ran to the door. Then I got confused because they started asking for Chief Charging Battery. On account of the fact that I acted visibly nervous, they did not believe me when I said he wasn't there. I can remember one of them saying, "He's going to jail, ma'am." Why they stick "ma'am" on a lie like that, I just don't know. Later that day, all the miscommunications got cleared up... well, most of them. Chief Charging Battery did not go to jail; he got in touch with the officers and they apologized to him (BUT NOT TO ME) about the miscommunication, and I learned a hard lesson about the cryptic way my husband talks that might have alerted me that something was amiss had I only known to press him when he says something that sounds just a little "off." I wrote a letter to the police chief of Raleigh and complained about how the situation was handled. I got a follow up call asking if I wanted to file a formal complaint. I declined; I said I just wanted to make someone aware of the situation.
Once when I came out of the K-Mart on Western Blvd. in Raleigh many years ago, I had a note on the windshield of my car saying something to the effect of, "If I had been on duty, you would have a pocketful of summonses. Grow up." So either a cop with his drawers in a wad or a twerp impersonating a police officer. I considered following up on that, but I decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
Speaking of dogs, once when a deputy of the local sheriff's dept. came out to our house to answer a complaint I had called in about my neighbor, our black lab mix mongrel went to greet him, tail wagging. The deputy had his hand on his gun, and I thought he was going to shoot my dog. Whew. Fortunately, someone who owned that adopted stray before we got him had taught him to sit at command, and I told Blacky to sit. Good grief.
More recently, I called to report that my car had been shot by someone with a paintball gun as I drove home. I told the officer my house number and that I would leave my porch light on. Despite that, she went to the house across the street and then the house next door before coming to mine. I wanted to give her a little instruction on the odd numbers being on one side and the even on the other, but I refrained. She mentioned that I didn't have my number on my house. I guess she either had poor training or else had sized me up as "not a threat," because she turned clean around to look at my mailbox when I said my number was on my mailbox. smh
So, corrupt, unprofessional, paranoid, or inept, I'm just not too impressed.
Oh, and I was once profiled--a cop was stopping young white girls at the edge of town where the speed limit went from 35 to 55. That was back when I tried to obey all the traffic laws, but my VW beetle speedometer was broken (and I was going faster than I realized, probably because the guys at my summer job had tried to harass me that day--they had been stopped from wetting me down with a hose, but at the end of the day, one of the guys poured a cup of water on my head as I was leaving).

But, I did have one positive encounter that I would be remiss if I didn't retell. I was going down a pretty good bit of a hill early one morning on my way to pick newspapers for delivery. Rolling down that hill, I was going over the speed limit. By that point in my life I was done with saying, "Yes, sir," so it might be a wonder I got off with a slap on the wrist. Literally. After the little lecture about tickets making insurance go up and costing me money, which judging by my car he could see I was in need of--yes, he actually had to insult my car!--he told me he was going to eat breakfast and didn't have time to give me a ticket. He told me to stick out my hand. I had no idea what on earth he was talking about, so I just gave a little chuckle. "Stick out your hand," he insisted. I did, and he gave me a slap on the wrist.

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/10/16 9:22 pm**

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **7/10/16 9:45 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **7/10/16 10:45 pm**

You know, Ole Timer, when I was a wee little girl, the grown men at church would ask me where Clyde was as a way to tease me.

Ole Timer, the Chief's name is not Clyde, but a while back I was wondering if I was going to be in trouble for being Bonnie. Someone called and asked for Bonnie, but the last name they used was not "Knox," though it did start with a "K." I figured if anybody I cared to talk to wanted to call, they would know my name, so I just hung up. Well, later (a few days, a week?) I got the same sort of call. I hung up again. The phone immediately rang again, and I just didn't answer, assuming it must be some sort of telemarketing scam. A half hour later I decided to check the answering service and there was a message asking me to call a certain number. That was odd. I did a reverse search and got a local cell phone. So I thought I would put some closure on the issue. I called the number. The woman answered, "Sheriff's department." I didn't really figure that out until later; not expecting that, it sounded to me like she could have "shipping department."
I said I was returning a call for someone asking for Bonnie [redacted] and that there was not a Bonnie [redacted] at this residence, and there had never been one. I asked how they had gotten my number; and she said she just had me down as Bonnie. I said, "Who are you?"
She said, "Deputy [redacted]." At that point, I realized who I was talking to, since I happen to know that particular deputy. I still was so blindsided that I didn't know what to say, so I just kind of unceremoniously ended the conversation. Then I started wondering what on earth was going on!
(Well, I have an active imagination, which is not always good for the nerves.) I got sage advice from a wise friend I met on Acts who said it was probably an "Easter egg hunt" for the other Bonnie. My darling son said the same thing when I lamented that I might be in trouble. He said, "No, it's the other Bonnie who's in trouble."
Chief Charging Battery got amused at me for wondering if I was a crook. I had vented to him about getting blindsided by things which I said, with as much melodrama as I could muster, would not have to happen if there was a modicum of communication on his part. I concluded by saying I didn't know whether I was wanted by the sheriff's department or not. I said, "I might be crook and not even know it." Chief Charging Battery just chuckled at that.
A few days later, I happened to read the sheriff's report in the paper (unrelated to the Bonnie K. thing--we got a paper because darling son's band was in it). I was going to tell Chief Charging Battery about the report in which the sheriff's department was called to a domestic disturbance because a woman was "forcing her husband to take his blood pressure medicine as prescribed." Funny and pitiful all at the same time.
When I started out by saying, "I was reading the sheriff's report in the paper..." Chief Charging Battery asked if I found out I was a crook. lol

After a few days, my nerves calmed down and I convinced myself that it was the other Bonnie who was in trouble. THEN my son called me saying that deputy had called his cell phone asking me to call the sheriff's department. Now if I were not the Bonnie they wanted, how on earth would they have my son's cell phone number in association with the name "Bonnie"? My snarky son (apple didn't fall far from tree) said I had nothing to worry about because they hadn't "found the body."
Shocked

So I dutifully called the sheriff's department. I reminded her that she had already called me.

I have to say the department wasn't coming across as being very adept at finding people.

So, no, he's not Clyde, and I'm not Bonnie. (Well, I am, but I'm not.)

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **7/11/16 8:13 am**

Re: Law enforcement, your experience? Good or Bad?

Friendly Face Posts: 496 **7/11/16 9:19 am**

I've had good experiences, frustrating experiences and I know of others that have had bad experiences. Amazingly, I've been able to talk my way out of several speeding tickets, I must be pretty good at it Smile

I did have one smart aleck policeman that gave me a ticket that was technically correct, but I was only going about 3 miles over (not in a school zone). Guilty yes, but really? I have always been respectful.

However, I know personally of some very bad experiences. When one of my older brothers was a teenager, he and some friends broke into a laundrymat and stole a small amount of money from a machine. The police caught them in the act. He had walkie Talkies in the car, the police confiscated them (not used as part of the crime as all the kids were in the laundrymat) and they was NEVER returned.

My nephew's girl friend reported him for growing Pot. When the police came, there was a small plant about 6 inches tall. According to my nephew (and I can't say this is the truth), but supposedly, his girlfriend was the one that was growing it and he was not aware of it. (I know that sounds suspicious). BUT, the police reported it to the newspaper and in court as if it were something like $40,000 of pot was confiscated. Fortanately for my nephew, he got off on probabtion or something much smaller. But, the point was they made it sound huge and as if he were trafficking in pot. Even if it were true, it was for personal use, not that he was a drug dealer. The point is, you can't always believe what is published.

In another situation, my wife's brother had a horrible situation where he had a live in girlfriends 18 month old boy suddenly died shortly after he had taken care of the baby. He was charged with manslaughter as it was obvious the child had NOT been beaten and had been died after hitting his head on a table and a hemmorage ensued. The problem was the accident did not occur when my brother in law was in charge. It happened later when he was gone and the mother had an accident (negligent, not likely intentional). To protect the mother, he took the fall. Unfortunately, her brother is mentally handicapped to an extent and gave in to police pressure and admitted guilt under questioning. I am FULLY aware of how this looks, red neck live in boyfriend lets child die in his custody. I would be one that would automatically think he was guilty also. EXCEPT, I have NO question he would not hurt a child. I DO understand he could be stupid and be roughhousing and the child got hurt. But, in this situation, it was not the case, he wasn't there. He spent 5 years in prison! Therefore, when I hear on TV about a red neck live in boyfriend, even though I am prone to automatically think the guy is guilty, I also know it isn't ALWAYS the case. My wife's other brother is 6'8" and would throw his babies up in the air and catch them. It would scare me to death. The one that was in prison, was 6'6" or so and he would also play with babies that way (before he went to prison). I WOULD NOT LET THEM DO THAT WITH MY KIDS. I understood no harm was intended, but it was dangerous. I know many people do that, but it scared me too much. The point was, you can't always believe what you hear.

In another instance, I did an audit where an embellzement had occurred. My role was to determine the amount that had been stolen. What bothered me was the police and prosecutors never ONCE asked if someone else could have taken the money (and frankly because things were so loosy goosy at the area, it could have been someone else). Yes, the money was taken, but WHO? It bothered me to no end that the Police and Prosecution could care less who actually did it, but they wanted to charge someone. Was the correct person charged, probably, but that is beside the point. I was petrified to testify in court because I was afraid I would be asked whether this particular person took it and I could not say she did. (I was worried as I just knew my boss would say I blew the case), but the fact is the police needed more proof as to the particular person that did it. In this situation, the signitures on the deposit slips were signficanlty different each time (the same name was signed, but significantly different handwriting). The police accepted the Supervisors word as an "expert witness" that the sig was that of the young lady. I reviewed the deposits, there was NO way that supervisor knew that was her sig and not someone else signing it for her. They needed an ACTUAL sig expert, not an untrained supervisor. I don't know if the young lady was trying to disquise the sigs to be able to claim it was forged, or if others were indeed signing, or if the young lady had multiple personalities and thus signed different each time. But, I reviewed those sigs and there would have been NO way I could have testified, under oath, that they were definetly the young lady's. I was SO relieved that the day before trial, the young lady plea-bargained and I did not have to testify. I suspect she really was guilty, but after the experience with my brother in law, I wondered if she confessed to get out of the stress of trial. The point is, the system did not try to see WHO did it, only that someone could be prosecuted.

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **7/11/16 9:29 am**

We once called the police to help us with a family member who was bipolar and hadn't taken his meds and was not sleeping and keeping us all up for 2 or 3 nights straight. That was a huge mistake and almost resulted in them just shooting him. We resolved to never call the police again for anything family related, period.

I will say that I have respect for the police as a whole, I know most of them do the best job they can and I pray for them in their role that can so easily lead to danger. But I can see both sides of this. However, there does seem to be a few evil elements exploiting these fears to create further violence and political power.

Friendly Face Posts: 496 **7/11/16 9:38 am**

I agree. I think part of the problem with some police is they tend to deal with the scum of society and become tainted. It is understandable.

I think there are good and bad cops.

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **7/11/16 11:22 am**

I am thankful for laws and for law enforcement. Having said that, I do believe there is a certain personally profile that gravitates toward a career in law enforcement. I have a good friend who works for the local sherrif's department. He told me practically every officer there was involved in some kind of infidelity. Is that because of the long hours, adrenaline rushes, etc? I honestly don't know.

I also know a lot of preachers who get involved in ungodly behaviors. Is it because of the long hours, isolation, lack of accountability, etc? I don't know. I do know this. I'm glad we have police, and I'm glad we have preachers.