Posted on 12/30/2014 3:39:23 PM PST by woofie
I got to thinking about it and decided I could do something simple and straightforward to affect a bit of change.
I stopped at a bakery this morning and bought a whole pie (Key Lime). I stuck it in the car and decided the first policeman I saw I would give it to him and say thanks.
It took a while but I just completed the mission.
I pulled up along side of a squad car and waved at the policeman. Then simply got out,approached him and handed him the box.
I told him with all the news about the police going around I wanted him and his fellow officers to know some of us were grateful for what they are doing for us. And I asked him to share it with his buddies....
He seemed most grateful and I am hoping the word will go out to all the men and women there and that they will get a lift from it.
For those who haven't heard, the Albuquerque police force was recently investigated by the justice department after a shooting of a homeless man was video taped and put on Youtube. We had our version of protests etc about it all with a full scale shake up of the police.
You can read about it but I would say we were on the cutting edge of the Ferguson/ New York/ police/racist/ riot/murder/ fiasco.
The shooting on tape is horrific and I have no qualms with discipline, procedural reviews, and more training imposed. But in the 60 odd years I have been in this world Ive concluded that where there are people, bad things can happen. And since the police are out there on the front lines 24 hours a day dealing with all kinds of people in my view its miraculous that more bad things don't happen.
Its a testament to the hard work and skill of our police forces that so much good is done every single day.
So to the police everywhere in the USA you have my thanks and not my condemnation and I hope more of us out there recognize and appreciate all that you do.
Anyone who wants, can join me for the cost of desert.
Good...Obeying the law MATTERS!!
Good for you. But damn it was cold in town today.
Good point, you can’t spit in a gift card.
Thanking them is a good idea.
Do you ever do that?
I have seen more accepting bribes than that I needed to thank for giving me directions or something.
I have never had one thank me for my military service, or give men anything free while I was in uniform, or thank me for not being in a union.
During the Vietnam war, those of us in uniform, learned to avoid cops, and try to avoid their harassment.
Can’t we just give them $20.00 bills instead of gift cards?
Agree....:o)
I never put a cop in a position where they feel obligated or guilty, taking something from a stranger...... Best as you state to do such anonymously ..... Good for all involved, you and the wait staff are only ones that need to know..... I trust those where I dine to do the right thing for me and them.....
May you and yours have a very safe, healthy and happy new year Doc !
Sending a pizza or two to the station house once in awhile probably would be very appreciated.
It’s amazing the differences in life experiences some of us have. Whenever I traveled home on leave I always traveled in uniform (yes, this was during the height of the VN war) and the police I met always went out of their way to be courteous and friendly to me (most were former military).
Every time I got stopped by the police (I tended to drive a little fast back in the day), I would always include my military ID with my drivers license and without exception, I was let go with a warning.
Might want to be careful, many jurisdictions have laws against police officers accepting gifts from the public, as a means to guard against corruption. So you don’t want to inadvertently get one of them in trouble.
“Gift Cards”
I don’t know what the amazing differences are supposed to be, unless it is that even in military towns, that you never ran into, or had your fellow GIs run into problems with hostile cops.
I remember talking to older sergeants about it, when I expressed surprise at what I was seeing, they sure knew about cops and military, it wasn’t anything new.
I was raised an Army brat, so I have spent years around military bases over the years. I know all about the hostility between the military and the local cops.
I was just giving my personal experience with the police. Of course, I will admit, most of my interaction with the police happened to be in places not associated with the military ... airports, bus station, open road, etc.
Never in my ten years in the military was I ever warned about the local police. I guess common sense prevailed ... don’t give the LEO’s any reason to dump on you and chances are they won’t.
It wasn’t harassing police that was the problem for generations of GIs, it was the police and communities harassing GIs.
Why would you pretend that I was talking about cops doing their duty against military people who were breaking a law, or causing problems, rather than what I was actually talking about, police harassing troops and sailors?
Sounds like the same difference to me. While in the military I never experienced harassment by the police or a community just because I was military. Like I was saying ... different life experiences.
Not just because of the way I was treated by the police but one of many reasons I eventually became a cop. Remained one for more than 30 years and often went out of my way to accommodate those in uniform.
Sounds like the same difference to you, and you are a cop.
Interesting.
Was. Doesn’t change my life experiences at all. At the time, I was not a cop I was a sailor just enjoying life and very glad I survived VN.
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