The police thread ...

[tudor@tvo.org (Michael Helms)]

Hi guys,

I have been silently reading this thread about cops since it started,
and I feel it's time for me to inject a little more than my $0.02
worth.

Four years ago, I fucked up my life big time.  It's none of your
business exactly what I did, but suffice to say I reached an all-time
low.  This was the first time I ever dealt with the cops (I had one
very minor speeding ticket a year prior, no big deal), and I figured
they would bury me every way possible.

The cop I dealt with was very up-front with me.  He explained exactly
what would happen, and explain how things could be swayed by my
actions.  It wasn't exactly a "NYPD" type of discussion; we sat in a
mall food court, discussing exactly what my future held in store for
me.

This cop let me go (though I was technically under arrest, he never
cuffed me or took me to the police station).  I had to appear for my
court case in two weeks.  I talked to the cop several times, and
co-operated with him 100%.  He agreed to come to my court case, and
make sure things went smoothly for me.  I had worked with him, and it
was his turn to work for me.

That cop busted his ass to make sure I got fair treatment in court. 
The crown was asking for six months of jail time; the cop felt that I
should get community service.  A second trial date was set during my
first trial; there were some matters that weren't fully cleared up. 
In my second trial, it was the effort of that cop that swayed the
court into realizing that I was basically a good kid that fucked up. 
I got a conditional discharge with community service.  Even my public
defender didn't think we could get anything better than a suspended
sentance.

I remember my final chat with that officer.  I thanked him for all
his time, and he told me that I was a good kid, and that it was time
for me to do the good things that I was capable of.  He shook my
hand, and told me with a smile that he never wanted to see me again. 
I knew what he meant.  My community service is long done now, and I
am firmly convinced that the reason I don't have a criminal record to
stain me is because that cop really wanted to help me out.  He knew I
needed to clean up, and that it wasn't too late to do something with
my life.  That was several years ago.  I have since gone back to
school and finished my education, and I'm quite happy to say that my
life is on track 100%.  I have never broken the law since them (well,
OK ... I do speed sometimes ... but you know what I mean), and I
never will.

There is a poignant point to this story.  I kept that cop's business
card, and I pull it out occasionally to remember how good he was to
me.  When Constable Bill Hancox was killed on duty about two months
ago, I took his business card and framed it, and it now hangs in my
office.  And I cried at his funeral, remembering the man who gave me
back my life.

Don't tell me that all cops are assholes.  We all have encounters
with stupid traffic cops, but that certainly doesn't make the entire
law-enforcing community an evil institution.  Quite the contrary,
based on my experience.

- -- Michael Helms

'81 Scirocco - the fixer-upper
'86 Scirocco - the daily driver

Web Site:  http://www.continuum.org/helms

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