10-09-2007, 09:43 AM
The Sun Herlad
10/09/07
Elaine Allen-Emrich column: Officers sometimes send mixed messages
Hello, North Port.
I was so excited to see more than 20 North Port police officers drop everything and spend about an hour at Glenallen Elementary School on Wednesday.
Since 2002, Glenallen Elementary School students have made thank-you cards for police officers and firefighters to show appreciation for keeping North Port safe.
Not only did the officers visit the fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, they answered questions and gave out ice cream certificates they purchased for the students. It was a sincerely wonderful gesture on behalf of those dedicated officers, and I believe it's important for today's children to make meaningful and memorable connections with them.
Children and teens sometimes have the unpleasant experience of watching police arrest their father or mother for allegedly using drugs, driving under the influence or domestic violence. Because children don't understand, they naturally blame the officer for taking away their loved one. If that is the only experience a child has with an officer, it often leaves them with bad feelings about cops.
Likewise, if a teenager hasn't had any experiences with officers and their first encounter is getting a ticket for not wearing a helmet on a bicycle or blasting the radio too loudly, that often breeds a rocky relationship with law enforcement.
By no means do I advocate children not wearing bicycle helmets or that they shouldn't turn down their radios while driving. What I'm saying is police officers are given the power of discretion. They can choose to warn students or write tickets.
I recently heard a story from a local student about his run-in with the law.
The 17-year-old was driving a 16-year-old to 7-Eleven after school. The boys said they saw two officers talking. One was smoking a cigarette near the store.
When the two boys entered the parking lot, one of the officers from the traffic enforcement unit walked over to his vehicle. He asked to see the 17-year-old driver's license and registration. The boy obliged. The teen asked what was wrong. The officer said he could hear the music coming before he ever made it to the parking lot. The officer asked the boy why he wasn't wearing his seat belt. The teen didn't have an answer. The officer asked the passenger for his driver's license. The passenger asked if he could go into the store. He was told no. Then the passenger told one of the two officers there was a woman about 19 years old who parked in a handicapped parking space without a placard. The passenger said the officer told him he was busy and stayed with the other officer.
The driver was given tickets for loud music and a seat belt violation.
My question is, since an officer can decide to warn someone or to give a ticket for something as minor as loud music, why not do a little community-oriented policing and talk to the teens for a couple minutes about the law prohibiting loud music within 25 feet of a vehicle? I understand it's strictly up to the officer, and the teen admitted being clearly at fault. However, many other residents believe the 7-Eleven gets far greater coverage by officers than many neighborhoods.
The teenager will pay his fines. He now knows the cost of not wearing his seat belt, and maybe for his own sake, he will turn down his radio. But, he might also remember this experience as a time an officer might have reached out a little differently.
http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/ ... ry=np4.htm (http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/100907/np4.htm?date=100907&story=np4.htm)
Ouch! That 7/11 bit has got to hurt.
Imagine that, the general public just about per batem saying what has been posted here by several people.
Seems that someone else see's it for what it is as well.
10/09/07
Elaine Allen-Emrich column: Officers sometimes send mixed messages
Hello, North Port.
I was so excited to see more than 20 North Port police officers drop everything and spend about an hour at Glenallen Elementary School on Wednesday.
Since 2002, Glenallen Elementary School students have made thank-you cards for police officers and firefighters to show appreciation for keeping North Port safe.
Not only did the officers visit the fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, they answered questions and gave out ice cream certificates they purchased for the students. It was a sincerely wonderful gesture on behalf of those dedicated officers, and I believe it's important for today's children to make meaningful and memorable connections with them.
Children and teens sometimes have the unpleasant experience of watching police arrest their father or mother for allegedly using drugs, driving under the influence or domestic violence. Because children don't understand, they naturally blame the officer for taking away their loved one. If that is the only experience a child has with an officer, it often leaves them with bad feelings about cops.
Likewise, if a teenager hasn't had any experiences with officers and their first encounter is getting a ticket for not wearing a helmet on a bicycle or blasting the radio too loudly, that often breeds a rocky relationship with law enforcement.
By no means do I advocate children not wearing bicycle helmets or that they shouldn't turn down their radios while driving. What I'm saying is police officers are given the power of discretion. They can choose to warn students or write tickets.
I recently heard a story from a local student about his run-in with the law.
The 17-year-old was driving a 16-year-old to 7-Eleven after school. The boys said they saw two officers talking. One was smoking a cigarette near the store.
When the two boys entered the parking lot, one of the officers from the traffic enforcement unit walked over to his vehicle. He asked to see the 17-year-old driver's license and registration. The boy obliged. The teen asked what was wrong. The officer said he could hear the music coming before he ever made it to the parking lot. The officer asked the boy why he wasn't wearing his seat belt. The teen didn't have an answer. The officer asked the passenger for his driver's license. The passenger asked if he could go into the store. He was told no. Then the passenger told one of the two officers there was a woman about 19 years old who parked in a handicapped parking space without a placard. The passenger said the officer told him he was busy and stayed with the other officer.
The driver was given tickets for loud music and a seat belt violation.
My question is, since an officer can decide to warn someone or to give a ticket for something as minor as loud music, why not do a little community-oriented policing and talk to the teens for a couple minutes about the law prohibiting loud music within 25 feet of a vehicle? I understand it's strictly up to the officer, and the teen admitted being clearly at fault. However, many other residents believe the 7-Eleven gets far greater coverage by officers than many neighborhoods.
The teenager will pay his fines. He now knows the cost of not wearing his seat belt, and maybe for his own sake, he will turn down his radio. But, he might also remember this experience as a time an officer might have reached out a little differently.
http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/ ... ry=np4.htm (http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/100907/np4.htm?date=100907&story=np4.htm)
Ouch! That 7/11 bit has got to hurt.
Imagine that, the general public just about per batem saying what has been posted here by several people.
Seems that someone else see's it for what it is as well.