[Josey]

I am confused! I am retired. The hometown has around 20 officers. They are woefully undertrained and illequipped. They are driving 12 year old Ford Taurus cars. The last couple of Chiefs have been indicted and are now convicted felons. The city is going to hire an "outside" Chief. The agency is a poor excuse for a PD. I became aware of a scam artist working an elderly neighborhood. I talked to one Captain about it. A tree cutting service. They are like the Travelers. They convince the elderly that a tree is going to fall on their house or that the power company sent them to cut the tree. They need to be paid up front in order to pay their dump fees. I know of three people they got for around $1500.00. I had license plate numbers, paid receipts, phone numbers, names, vehicle descriptions and had located the scam artists. A marked unit was dispatched. Scam artists have a scanner. GOA by the time the unit gets on scene. OK. I talk to the elderly folks, go to the PD and try to file a complaint for theft. We don't do that anymore, they have to talk to the Prosecuting Attorney. OK. We make an appointment and keep it. Nobody knows anything in the PA office. They start checking and find out there are other complaints. The PA won't meet the complainants, he says to these elderly folks; "Get an attorney, this is civil." I cannot believe this! Whatever became of public servants? You probably guessed that this clown is not elected. I just needed to vent. The local PD, the Prosecuting Attorney and the law just are not doing what I would think is their job. I have never dealt with deadheads like this bunch before. The thing that PO'd me was when a PD Captain said I was retired, quit nosing into things.

 

[GlenS]

I worked at a small town police department in the late 1970's. Training there did not exist, the budget was minumal at best and pay was low. When I arrived there the Chief carried a weapon but didn't have any bullets in it. There was no police academy then. They handed you a badge and a gun and said go forth and enforce the law. Several Police Chief's, including the one who hired me, ended up fired for misconduct. The Police Chief's at small police departments often get the "better then thou" attitude. I've seen it many, many times. The law doesn't apply to them. If they are afraid to handle a situation they will often tell you to go to the States Attorney. I became the Chief of Police there in 1977 and things changed. The law was the same for everyone, including myself. By the way, I arrested my Chief of Police for interstate trafficing in stolen firearms. That one act blackballed me from police work after I left that department. I left in good standing but couldn't even get an interview at another PD. I ended up changing careers and went into computer programming. But I have always missed police work and have never regretted my decision to enforce the law the same for everyone, including the Chief of Police.

 

[hjk]

If it isn't malfeasance its certainly nonfeasance, which is also a crime. The behavior you describe leads one to question what else is really going on with these officers and the prosecutor. Perhaps a meeting with the scam victims and the State Attorney General's office is in order.

 

[ppd1107]

I work for a small agency of 6 officers, a sargeant and a chief. We have lots of bugetary and training problems. In my county there is a sheriff's office and a larger department serving a city of 50000 residents. I have found that the larger agencys are much more likely not handle or investigate this type of problem. I don't think that the size of the agency has anything to do with the issue.