The new cops [View all]

[KT2000]

I live in a rural area in NW Washington State. We have lots of retired people - also our share of drug issues in the non-retired population. We used to have a friendly Sheriff Department with older deputies who covered a large territory. They always tried to be helpful. They have retired.

Now we have a new crop of young cops who seem to have seen too many TV shows and movies. We have a mentally ill/paranoid man in the neighborhood. He stood in the street and screamed that his wife was trying to stab him, so neighbors called the police. Two showed up, one wearing a cowboy hat and dark glasses, and he was the boss. The man's appearance and demeanor is obviously that of a deranged person but the cop chose to believe him. When his wife tried to explain that she did not try to stab him, he told her to shut up and put cuffs on her and took her to jail - for the weekend - Domestic Violence, with nothing but the man's word.

This cop's inexperience and arrogance has just ruined two people's lives. The wife has supported him for 30 years but he is now alone in the house destroying it, getting drunk and leaving his wife homeless but for the generosity of friends. He has claimed the house as his and she will not ever be able to return to the house for her own safety.

I am sharing this as a lesson for others. Cops just are not who they used to be. Of course some are good and some are bad but the overall changes are for a more power/militant attitude. This is not just a city problem but everywhere now as recruitments are from all over the country. I also wonder if the jails no longer want to house the mentally ill.

If you care for a mentally ill person with a mean streak, make sure you have a paper trail confirming the mental illness. Make sure all police contacts are documented. They could turn on you at the end as this man did.
Memorize the phone number of a lawyer in case you are put in jail - no phone books there. Tattoo it on your arm if you have to.
Inform neighbors of the mentally ill person living in the house because when the caretaker is removed from the home, the neighbors will surely be affected.