Here is a letter to the editor I haven't decided to send in yet:
In regards to “Police Keeping a Close Eye on Proms”, I am surprised that police will be “working in and around those proms and parties”. Is there truly a need for undercover police officers to be in the prom, sipping punch with kids, trying to find out if there is a big party afterwards that they can bust? Have the parents of Traverse City become so uninvolved that they need police to manage their children? To have undercover spies mixing with them at a school function so that they can keep their distance and not get to involved in their children’s activities?
I don’t have a child going to the prom, but I don’t know if I would want them going knowing that they were being watched by a government agency that has recently had the audacity to confiscate a pair of police pants in fear that their authority was being undermined by a beatnik on a moped.
Please monitor the roads, let’s keep an eye out for drunk drivers, please pull over a car, or stop a car from being driven by a child who is drunk or has been drinking, but do we need the police in amongst children? Where are the chaperones? I’m sure that there is an army of caring parents at all the proms in the area, who are more than enough to handle any situation that THEIR children are involved in, and are better equipped to handle it. Or they are aware of the situation at the prom, they know and trust the teachers and staff that will be there.
If police are needed I have found that calling them on the phone works well in getting them to an area where there is trouble. By having them sneaking around the prom, watching, spying, what does this teach kids? That deception, sneaking around, hiding, being covert about things is okay? That this is the way the world works? Why not have a very visible police car parked out on the street, making kids know if they make a choice to drive drunk, that there are going to be consequences? It’s spelled out, it’s honest. Then the kids who are just there having fun, not drinking, not doing anything other than being kids, have no fear of the police, aren’t worried that they are being watched and being bad, and don’t walk away believing that we live in a police state. One in which police are always watching, wondering what you are doing, keeping an eye on you.
I don’t live in Traverse City anymore, but grew up there and can remember on more than one occasion being treated rudely by the police while I was in high school. I see many of the same police officers still around so I doubt that they have changed their barking ways. Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons that I left Traverse City was because the way I felt that I was being watched by police, that for some reason I was on one of their lists. Probably this was just my imagination, but that is the atmosphere that is created by actions such as undercover police milling about kids in a high school gymnasium. It doesn’t need to be that way. Parents, it doesn’t need to be this way, tell your school board that it doesn’t. The police of Travers City, you can only do so much, you have the best intentions in mind, but you carry guns and that is scary.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Discarded police trousers spur inquiry
Please step out of the brown pants, surrender them
Discarded police trousers spur inquiry
By IAN C. STOREY
Record-Eagle staff writer
TRAVERSE CITY - Nice pants, Keith Schwartz thought when he came across a pair of second-hand slacks at a local thrift shop.
Grand Traverse County sheriff's officials didn't agree with his sartorial choice, however. After spying Schwartz in the well-worn brown britches with the distinctive leg stripes, a detective ran his name through a criminal computer and later showed up at his Traverse City residence to seize the pants.
The charge? Authorities hinted the pants could be used to impersonate an officer, said Schwartz, who added that people often wait for the punch line when he tells the story.
"I certainly appreciate the humor of it all, but I also worry about the dark undertones this has," he said.
Schwartz was running errands in Traverse City early last month when a plainclothes sheriff's detective approached him about his pants - brown, sheriff-style uniform trousers he bought months earlier at a local Goodwill outlet.
He'd paid $3.25 for the pants because they seemed durable and comfortable enough to wear during his nighttime gig cleaning office buildings.
Clad in tennis shoes and riding a moped, Schwartz said he resembled anything but a police officer.
But detective Dawn Wagoner stopped Schwartz and ran a background check on him. She didn't know if it was illegal for him to have the pants, but she told Schwartz to expect additional contact from authorities.
"It was extremely surreal. I thought it was a joke," he said.
Days later, Wagoner - under the direction of Undersheriff Nathan Alger - appeared at Schwartz's home and requested the pants.
Wagoner offered to pay for them, but Schwartz's befuddled wife turned them over, no cost to the sheriff's department, he said.
"These pants were not in pristine condition," said Schwartz, 47. "The stripe was actually coming off."
State law prevents citizens from wearing Michigan State Police uniforms, but Sheriff Scott Fewins said he wasn't sure whether that applies to his department.
Fewins said recent incidents involving police impersonators created a concern about non-officers wearing or possessing any type of police-issued clothing, although he doesn't believe Schwartz had any ill-intent.
"I don't see it being a security issue, although they are very recognizable pants and every once in a while we have people trying to stop cars, which is something we are concerned about," Fewins said. "But if a guy was walking down the sidewalk with a bottom and top (uniform) but no badge, I believe it would be an issue the prosecutor would look at.
"I don't think we would want them back, but we don't want people having them," Fewins added.
Schwartz didn't ask for a refund, but he would like an explanation.
"(Police) didn't elaborate about why I couldn't have them, they just said I couldn't have them," he said. "They said official uniforms are either supposed to be shredded or burned, not sold or discarded.
Schwartz wonders what can and can't be worn, considering that items like hats and shirts with logos of the New York City police and fire departments are fashionable to wear and uniforms of all kinds are readily available at surplus stores and online.
"It would have been different if I was wearing an insignia or something that said this was an official uniform, but they were no different than any other pants you could go out and buy," Schwartz said. "It is the whole issue of government sticking its nose into private lives where it shouldn't be ... it is ridiculous."
Discarded police trousers spur inquiry
By IAN C. STOREY
Record-Eagle staff writer
TRAVERSE CITY - Nice pants, Keith Schwartz thought when he came across a pair of second-hand slacks at a local thrift shop.
Grand Traverse County sheriff's officials didn't agree with his sartorial choice, however. After spying Schwartz in the well-worn brown britches with the distinctive leg stripes, a detective ran his name through a criminal computer and later showed up at his Traverse City residence to seize the pants.
The charge? Authorities hinted the pants could be used to impersonate an officer, said Schwartz, who added that people often wait for the punch line when he tells the story.
"I certainly appreciate the humor of it all, but I also worry about the dark undertones this has," he said.
Schwartz was running errands in Traverse City early last month when a plainclothes sheriff's detective approached him about his pants - brown, sheriff-style uniform trousers he bought months earlier at a local Goodwill outlet.
He'd paid $3.25 for the pants because they seemed durable and comfortable enough to wear during his nighttime gig cleaning office buildings.
Clad in tennis shoes and riding a moped, Schwartz said he resembled anything but a police officer.
But detective Dawn Wagoner stopped Schwartz and ran a background check on him. She didn't know if it was illegal for him to have the pants, but she told Schwartz to expect additional contact from authorities.
"It was extremely surreal. I thought it was a joke," he said.
Days later, Wagoner - under the direction of Undersheriff Nathan Alger - appeared at Schwartz's home and requested the pants.
Wagoner offered to pay for them, but Schwartz's befuddled wife turned them over, no cost to the sheriff's department, he said.
"These pants were not in pristine condition," said Schwartz, 47. "The stripe was actually coming off."
State law prevents citizens from wearing Michigan State Police uniforms, but Sheriff Scott Fewins said he wasn't sure whether that applies to his department.
Fewins said recent incidents involving police impersonators created a concern about non-officers wearing or possessing any type of police-issued clothing, although he doesn't believe Schwartz had any ill-intent.
"I don't see it being a security issue, although they are very recognizable pants and every once in a while we have people trying to stop cars, which is something we are concerned about," Fewins said. "But if a guy was walking down the sidewalk with a bottom and top (uniform) but no badge, I believe it would be an issue the prosecutor would look at.
"I don't think we would want them back, but we don't want people having them," Fewins added.
Schwartz didn't ask for a refund, but he would like an explanation.
"(Police) didn't elaborate about why I couldn't have them, they just said I couldn't have them," he said. "They said official uniforms are either supposed to be shredded or burned, not sold or discarded.
Schwartz wonders what can and can't be worn, considering that items like hats and shirts with logos of the New York City police and fire departments are fashionable to wear and uniforms of all kinds are readily available at surplus stores and online.
"It would have been different if I was wearing an insignia or something that said this was an official uniform, but they were no different than any other pants you could go out and buy," Schwartz said. "It is the whole issue of government sticking its nose into private lives where it shouldn't be ... it is ridiculous."
Police keeping a close eye on proms
Police keeping a close eye on proms
By IAN C. STOREY
Record-Eagle staff writer
TRAVERSE CITY - High school students aren't the only ones gearing up for prom season, as city officers are dusting off their plain-clothes to patrol area proms and parties in an attempt to prevent underage drinking.
Traverse City police Sgt. Brian Heffner said a Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning grant meant to deter underage drinking will be used to add patrols for area proms and graduation parties.
Traverse City Central High School's prom is tonight, while West Senior High's soiree is scheduled for next weekend.
"We will have our normal patrols out, but in addition there will be plainclothes officers to enforce underage drinking laws," said Heffner. "Now that it is prom season, graduation and senior party time, we will have officers working in and around those proms and parties where youths may be consuming alcohol."
Heffner said city police are also working in conjunction with stores in the Traverse City area to ensure minors are not using fake identification to buy alcohol or having adults buy for them.
Heffner said no citations for minors in possession of alcohol were issued last year during a similar enforcement exercise.
The Story above was in the Traverse City Record Eagle.
When and if I have kids I will not want cops being the ones keeping an eye on them at a school event. That would be my job as a parent, not the states, not my governments. Have we hired the police to act as babysittes when we don't want to do it? We want the police to be the ones that are rearing our children? We send the police in there to spy on our kids, to see what they are doing, what they are saying while we are not around. Are we so paranoid that we need to have agents, the same people that decided a guy who bought a pair of their pants at a thrift store needed to give up, watching our children? Spys intermingling within the kids on an evening that is probably awkward enough as it is, all this pressure to make this night significant some how, but then to have cops hiding in your midst. What does that teach them? Go have fun, but we are watching you? If you were 17 would you even want to go to an event that had "plainsclothes officers to enforce underage drinking" wandering around the event? I think that I would be finding some friends and heading out to some beach somewhere and having a fire and enjoying that, knowing that most of the cops are hanging around the prom.
I wonder how many kids go to the prom?
By IAN C. STOREY
Record-Eagle staff writer
TRAVERSE CITY - High school students aren't the only ones gearing up for prom season, as city officers are dusting off their plain-clothes to patrol area proms and parties in an attempt to prevent underage drinking.
Traverse City police Sgt. Brian Heffner said a Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning grant meant to deter underage drinking will be used to add patrols for area proms and graduation parties.
Traverse City Central High School's prom is tonight, while West Senior High's soiree is scheduled for next weekend.
"We will have our normal patrols out, but in addition there will be plainclothes officers to enforce underage drinking laws," said Heffner. "Now that it is prom season, graduation and senior party time, we will have officers working in and around those proms and parties where youths may be consuming alcohol."
Heffner said city police are also working in conjunction with stores in the Traverse City area to ensure minors are not using fake identification to buy alcohol or having adults buy for them.
Heffner said no citations for minors in possession of alcohol were issued last year during a similar enforcement exercise.
The Story above was in the Traverse City Record Eagle.
When and if I have kids I will not want cops being the ones keeping an eye on them at a school event. That would be my job as a parent, not the states, not my governments. Have we hired the police to act as babysittes when we don't want to do it? We want the police to be the ones that are rearing our children? We send the police in there to spy on our kids, to see what they are doing, what they are saying while we are not around. Are we so paranoid that we need to have agents, the same people that decided a guy who bought a pair of their pants at a thrift store needed to give up, watching our children? Spys intermingling within the kids on an evening that is probably awkward enough as it is, all this pressure to make this night significant some how, but then to have cops hiding in your midst. What does that teach them? Go have fun, but we are watching you? If you were 17 would you even want to go to an event that had "plainsclothes officers to enforce underage drinking" wandering around the event? I think that I would be finding some friends and heading out to some beach somewhere and having a fire and enjoying that, knowing that most of the cops are hanging around the prom.
I wonder how many kids go to the prom?
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Update
I have not been keeping up. In the last two weeks I've seen Elton John, Sleeping Bear national Lakeshore, Shellac, and new place that I'm staying, snow fall, The loud crappy Pony's, and Colin Powell. It has been a trip. I broke down on Thursday, after moving and cleaning my old apartment and had to come sleep at Sandy's place in the afternoon. I crashed hard for a couple of hours and felt great. This is the week of rock. Five shows in 6 nights, can I do it? New Order, Wilco, and Built to Spill, it will be a test. To top it off there is Mothers day coming up as well and the final leg of my journey down this way, a month in Vegas, the month of June.
This is what I do, and now is not the time to get soft, stay frosty, stay sharp, I'm keeping my eye on the prize: July and August in Washburn! What a sweet payoff. Everyone is welcome.
This is what I do, and now is not the time to get soft, stay frosty, stay sharp, I'm keeping my eye on the prize: July and August in Washburn! What a sweet payoff. Everyone is welcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)