imported post
Nutczak wrote:
autosurgeon wrote:
What your LEO friend is doing is harassment... he may not think it is ...but it is.
I am in full agreement, he has taken an oath to uphold the constitution and enforce the laws. His personal viewpoints should have no bearing on his officialduties.
Dr. Todd stated;
When I was younger, I too felt that police officers were oftentimes "unfair" or otherwise not living up to some standard of what one would consider "professionalism". So, if I were reading this when I was under 30 years old, I would have been in general agreement with the original post.
Police seem to come down harder on younger folks, and they are very aware that the younger generation will willingly waive their rights. This may be from schools not teaching the bill of rights and not letting these kids know that they can refuse a search.
I feel that schools have become mass endoctrination centers for the socialist lifestyle.
I feel it comes with the "Power-trip" that some officers have, they find a weaker individual (kids) and wield their power against them to make themselves feel more powerful.
Kimberguy, I think it is time to write down what this officer told you, have it signed and dated by a notary, and mail it to Wally for when this cop goes after him.
I would have a hard time being civil with anyone that had a hard-on for someone else and could not wait to use an authoritative position to push his personal beliefs.
You friend is the exact type of person that should be removed from law enforcement.
Great advice.
As AutoSurgeon somewhat suggested, this LEO is
stalking a citizen. Unless he has been assigned the case of staking out a citizen, following them around with the intention to bust them when they screw up is harassment, plain and simple. Not only is it harassing to Wally, but he is doing a disservice to the other citizens of the community. Diverting time and paying special attention to ONE person leaves countless others at the mercy of various crimes and civil infractions.
Wally, if I were you, I'd have a chat with the PD now... BEFORE anything happens. Get it on record that you have concerns about an officer in their department who has it out for you. You may not be able to prove it... but that's okay. At least, if something DOES happen, you have it on record so it doesn't look like you're just making up excuses after the fact. I cannot stress enough, though, that if you decide to have this chat with the PD, that you must be civil and polite. Otherwise you just may end up with more officers targeting you. You want to be the good guy here. I don't remember where I heard this phrase, but it goes something like, "If someone in the world is out there telling everyone what an asshole you are, prove them wrong by demonstrating that you're not... then the person who's accusing you will become the asshole in the eyes of everyone they talk to."
Be the bigger person... document what you can... and then just live your life normal. I wouldn't go on a crusade to seek this person out because then anything he says about you to other LEO's may carry more weight. He could easily say, "See... I told you this kid was trouble."
Kimberguy, aside from following AutoSurgeon's advice, I'd probably stay out of the mix if I were you. But that's just me. I would document what I was told, then have it signed and dated by a notary though. I know it's hard to take sides when you might be friends with both parties... but this is one of those instances where you ought to consider doing what's right. And let's face it: Your LEO buddy is wrong. First of all, he should be professional to the point that he doesn't let personal opinions of someone's character cloud his sworn duties. Secondly, he shouldn't be sharing non-public information about folks with third parties.
Wally, if all of this is true, then you shouldn't have a real hard time figuring out who it is. If it's true that this LEO is watching you and following you around, all you need to do is start documenting the officers you see on a regular basis. When you start to see the same officer pop up over and over again, it's probably a safe bet that you've found your stalker. And if I were in your shoes, I would document the approximate dates and times of any officers you see that appear to be watching you... that may come in handy later if/when you have to make a case that you were being stalked or harrassed.
Hopefully after your talk with the PD, the officer in question will be advised to do his job and not to pursue personal vendettas on the departments time. Take a recording device with you... and it's probably not a bad idea to take someone older with you. It shouldn't matter, but as Nutzcak has pointed out, age seems to be a factor in how some officers will treat you. Thinking back to my younger years, I can definitely recall instances where officers intimidated me or refused to take me seriously... probably because they knew I didn't know any better and that they could get away with it. And speaking frankly, I appreciate those experiences because now I don't let that stuff happen anymore. I understand you're angry with officers... but I can't stress enough that angry is not the way to be. It will destroy you. Instead, channel that energy in another way... use it to motivate yourself to learn all you can and to become a truly informed citizen. Use that energy to empower yourself to never again be a victim to manipulation by an officer who knows more about the law than you do. If you can channel your energy this way, you can live a more positive life... a more peaceful life... and may begin to realize that not every LEO is bad or out to get you. And those that actually ARE may rue the day that they tried to pull the wool over your eyes.
Take these negative experiences and turn them into positives... that's all I'm saying.