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then read the other selection below

This is taken from a "Community Policing" question and answer

session via e-mail forum in the State of California:

The question is:

"I would like to know how it is possible for police officers to harass people and get away with it? And where can you go for help other than a civil attorney?"

                      The Reply from a really cool cop was:

It is not easy. In California we average one cop for every 2000 people.

About 60% of those cops are on patrol, where we do most of the harassing.

One-fifth of that 60% are on duty at any moment and available for harassing
people.

So, one cop is responsible to harass about 10,000 residents. When you toss in the commercial, business, and tourist locations that attract people from other areas, sometimes you have a situation where a single cop is responsible to harass 20,000 or more people a day. A ten-hour shift runs 36,000 seconds.

When you can think of nothing else to do, there are books that give
ideas for reasons to harass folks. They are called Codes. Penal, Vehicle,
Health and Safety, Business and Professions... They all spell out all sorts of things for which you can really mess with people. After you read the code, you can just drive around for a while until you find someone violating one of these listed offenses and harass them. Just last week I saw a guy smash a car window. Well, the code says that is not allowed. That meant I got to harass this guy.

It is a pretty cool system that we have set up, and it works pretty well. I
seem to have a never-ending supply of folks to harass. And we get away with it because the good citizens who pay the tab, like that we keep the streets safe for them.

Next time you are in my town, give me a single finger wave. That is a signal that you wish for me to take a little closer look at you, and maybe find a reason to harass you.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Pete Philpot

Via Email