Stolen Kubota with Loader

[Boondox]

The cops in our small town have put their lives on the line twice to aid my family. One went into the night to find and shoot a rabid dog. Another went into the night to find and disarm a threatening psych patient from the county mental hospital. When needed, they've rushed up here in the worst weather imaginable, and even ran the last quarter mile when their cruiser slid into a ditch one winter afternoon.

My hat's off to Stowe PD. They do a sensational job with scant resources.

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[ERNIEB]

Back in about 87 I think, I was living in an apartment, and my pick up was stripped one night right in the parking lot. Even took out the windshield. I had a new inspection sticker, and that was probably what they were after. The truck was pretty dusty, and I could see they had touched it all over. When I called to report it, I mentioned that they would be able to get prints off it. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE. They don't even sent an officer for something like that. They just take the report, and give you a case number to turn into your insurance. So, if you want to steal cars, strip cars, or defraud your insurance company, San Antonio is the place to be.
Bird, why is it we have that law? Because of towns like Selma, Elmindorf, and others.
So now that cities and counties over a certain size can have DOT officers, they can't get these units set up fast enough. To protect the motoring public from those dangerous big trucks? Like Judge Mills Lane says, when someone tells you "it's not the money". You can be sure, "It's the money".

Ernie

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Bird, why is it we have that law?</font color=blue>

Ernie, do you mean a law requiring taking the report by phone instead of sending an officer to the scene? If so, there is no such law; just local policy. Family in Oklahoma City had told me what a sorry police department they had, and I believed that after that night.

In '56, I was visiting an aunt and uncle in Oklahoma City when someone popped the trunk on his Plymouth and stole a pretty good sized toolbox full of tools. He called the police department and they took the report on the phone, but wouldn't send an officer. I couldn't believe it.

When I started on the Dallas Police Department, an officer was sent to the scene of every call, no matter how minor, but in some instances, the caller didn't really want an officer to come to the scene, just wanted to get something on record, so in the mid-70s a call screen unit was established to take reports on the phone, but the caller still had the option of having an officer respond to the scene. I was promoted to the rank of Captain, and Commander of the Communications Division, in '76, so that unit worked for me. It was a good idea, and it worked. It was the caller's option (although our employees would almost insist on sending an officer if they thought physical evidence might be found). But then the powers that be decided it was "wasting" time to send officers to the scene unless it was almost certain there was physical evidence to be found. So now I'm afraid you'd get the same reponse in Dallas that you got in San Antonio.

And I can't tell you in polite language what I think of that policy. It's supposed to save tax money. Bull!!!! There are instances in which complainants want fingerprints taken, and a well trained officer may know that it would be a waste of time because there aren't going to be any usable ones there, but we used to try anyway if for no other reason than public relations, but times have changed./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Quite frankly, I retired a lot earlier than I originally planned, when I realized that I was getting ashamed to tell people where I worked. Oh well, I'll get off my soapbox.

Bird

 

[ERNIEB]

No Bird, I meant
<font color=blue>State of Texas has a state statute that says all traffic fines over a certain percentage of the city's budget has to go to the state. That prevents the city councils from using a police department to finance the city budget.</font color=blue>
Sorry, I should have been more clear.



Ernie

 

[Bird]

Aaah, OK, Ernie. Naturally, with my searching skills, I can't find that law right now on the Internet. The reason is simply that a few small towns (very few fortunately) have tried to finance their city budget with "speed traps" and such. There was a story in our local newspaper sometime this year about one small town that did that, and had failed to send the fine money to the state, so the attorney general's office went after them, and now I can't even remember the name of the little town, but it was way down in South Texas. I haven't seen anything about a final resolution, but according to the paper, the city was claiming that if they had to pay the amount the state wanted, it would totally bankrupt the city and even after dis-incorporating and totally doing away with city government, they wouldn't have that much money. They supposedly had already abolished the police department. I'll let you know if I ever find the information.

Bird

 

[scruffy]

Bird, wasn't that particular law/rule forced by the Feds? Seems I remember the federal government pushing that issue to clean up small town departments, IF they wanted access to Federal funds.

 

[ERNIEB]

I wish you could remember the name of that small town. I wonder if it was Elmendorf. My Mother lives near there, and I know a little about that town.
They started out with one officer, and an old squad car. FM 1604 was built, and went thru a part of their city limits. The guy sat out there almost every hour he was on duty. Soon they had a new squad car, and another officer. That worked out so well the city annexed down 1604 to hwy 181, and about 4 miles worth of 181. Just the road way, mind you, no other property. In short order a town with a total population of a little over 600 had; a new portable building serving as a police station, 3 new squad cars, a police chief, 4 full time police officers, a number of part timers (moonlighters from other nearby PD's).
After the state passed that law, they lost it faster than they had gained it. The last I heard there was a lot of fighting between the city council and the mayor, and talk of doing away with it and turning it all over to the county.
As you said there were only a few like this( thank God ), but I do think there is some truth to what ejb said.

Ernie

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yea, it was "insured" with a $1000 deductable. All I want is to take that $1000 out of the hyde of the bastard who stold it, and then use the loader end on the 2 sheriff's cars that park 22 hours a day at the Wilson Farms convenience store.
This parking crap has been going on for over a year, must be for fuel economy, to the extent even the Village Board has bitched about it. The only time those cars move is for roll call back at the station at shift change. Obviously this is a well supervised department.
We currently have an appointed Sheriff, filling out the term of the looser who would only retire if his boy got the job. Oddly, the current "Sheriff" has been endorsed by the patrol deps union as Incompetent. They should know, he hired most of them, and has "supervised" them for the last 13 years.
Since the "endorsement" the union has undertaken a stepped up enforcment program on speeders, telling ticket recipients the Sheriff has ordered stepped up enforcment.
The current "sheriff" won't even debate his opponent, a retired 29 year Captain from the City PD. Sheriff Patrick does go campaigning door to door with the County Clerk, but the party doesn't allow Patrick to speak, cause he CAN'T. He doesn't even speak in his commercials, all voice overs. When questions are asked of his department or campaign, they are answred on TV by the Party Chairman.
This election is so funny, even theGreen Party has a candidate in the race, a Convicted Drug Dealer, who has done his time, and is campaigning on the horrible conditions of the County Jail.
Our retired "sheriff" got caught in his last campaign renting his neighbor's Lab Retreiver for the commercials, this was in a department with 12 dogs. He had to rent the neighbor's dog cause all the department dogs hated him so badly even the drug sniffing Lab bit him.
Yes, I do live in Comedy Central. We call 911 government sponsored dial a prayer.

 

[HR_Mutt]

<font color=blue>We have reason to believe it may be in or headed for Bath NY area or Ohio, to a new resident there.</font color=blue>
Is anyone else curious about this? Or, is this being investigated, eliminated?
regards
Mutt

 

[ejb]

>>When I called to report it, I mentioned that they would be able to get prints off it. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE. They don't even sent an officer for something like that. They just take the report, and give you a case number to turn into your insurance

This was exactly my point; in many areas this IS the way it works. File the paperwork and move on to more important things. Now maybe there really are MORE important things, but when it is your car, or your house (or your tractor) that gets stolen, it doesn't seem like it.

There was a controversy a few years back in Boston (or one of the other large surrounding communities) where the police even stopped filing the paper work for many many crimes. It came to light when a reporter got mugged and assaulted. The police came out, and listened to the victim and realized the victim would not require hospitization they listened to his complaint and the guy eventually left.

As it turned out in a few days the guy required hospitalization (for a concussion or something) and he (the victim/reporter) needed to get a copy of the original police report in order to get his bills paid by the crime victims fund. Thats when he found out that the police didn't even bother filling out any paper work.

He eventually investigated and as it turns out THE POLICE WERE PURPOSEFULLY NOT filing reports (or investigating) MANY MANY MANY (thousands it turned out) crimes so that the crime statistics that were turned into the FBI would PROVE that Boston had become a safer city.

In other words, they couldn't actually make it a safer city, so they ignored many crimes so that the stats would make it appear safer...clever huh?