Dear Police Officer

Dear Officer,

I was speeding, going 76 in a 60 MPH area of interstate as you noted on the citation you gave me. I was startled when the two of you with both of your squad cars pulled over, flagged me off the road. I was shocked when you told me your airplanes caught me speeding some miles back. I’m not even sure how I could contest such a thing as I don’t recall when and where such an incident occurred and we are now beyond the place and time. It’s Labor Day weekend so I should have expected your force to be out like you work on commission.

While you claim to be short-staffed and without the manpower to fight the inner city crime that has killed our once lovely downtowns, scared the elderly, and threatens our children – I frequently spend my free time and money downtown. I work with the elderly population. I pay high property taxes for local schools for which I have no children of my own to attend.

While you were on interstate watching for speeding sports cars and SUVS, a drunken man left a bar in his car downtown where pedestrians and bicyclists were enjoying the day, and I was hurrying home.

While your plane was joyriding in the air scanning vehicles with radar, the city was void of your presence – drug deals were made, robberies were committed, and maybe someone was shot. I was on my way to my home state to visit family which I haven’t seen in many months, some years. I was going to meet my nieces for the first time and help remodel another’s bedroom.

You and you short staff were on an adrenaline high. People downtown were oblivious. I was excited.

But you didn’t care about any of that. You didn’t ask why I was speeding. You didn’t ask for my tax and police salary paying opinion either on how you could make me feel safe. You don’t care if I like you or approve of the job you’re doing because you have authority --- that which I have surrendered to you. I pay for your protection and get fined by your selective work. You also don’t care about getting drug dealers, the homeless, and such off the streets because there’s no money in that for you. The only way your department can make money is to continue taking it from the people driving sports cars and SUVS.

When the news reporter asked you later that night why police officials took so long to get to the crime scene or weren’t readily available for protection you simply said, “We’re short staffed”.