After dinner tonight, while out for a walk, I was searched and detained by sheriffs on a busy intersection around the corner from my house. Basically one of the deputies was very rude and said he believed that I did “it”. I’m not certain what he believed I did but from the snippets of their conversation, I’m guessing someone left a door to a business open and the alarm sounded. I ended up sitting on the curb for more than a half hour in the cold being gawked at by everyone driving by. I was beginning to think I was going to jail. The deputy asked if I was working and whether my business was suffering with the economy. At one point he asked me if I’d been on the second floor or only the first. When they finally let me go, there was no apology or anything. Just, “thank you for your time.” So much for a relaxing walk. I wonder if I’ll get any funny looks from parents when I take my son to the community center, park, or library next week.
Orange County Sheriffs
I live in Irvine in Orange County and the police here feel like mall cops. Driving around doing nothing with nothing to do. Property crimes seem like the only thrills these guys get. Sorry you were "profiled" as a SAHD!
Sam AKA Punditdad www.punditdad.wordpress.com SAHD life, kids and the politics of kids
Thanks Sam. We're practically neighbors. I'm in Lake Forest. I can't believe how angry I am about the way I was treated. There's no way I should have been searched and made to sit for so long. I liked the "profiled as a SAHD" comment - pretty funny
Hey Tim,
I feel your pain. From the little bit that I remember about Lake Forest, I am not surprised by Orange County's finest. I know that when I lived in Mission Viejo the scuttlebutt was that Lake Forest was not a good area for getting around town without some sort of profiling. I think this is something that you should contact the County Commissioner that serves Lake Forest as well as the sheriff himself. (I believe it is still a guy right?) Either way you definitely deserve an apology and the deputies need to learn that they are not above the law and are supposed to "Serve & Protect" as the saying goes. Either way I would be a bit pissed off myself and I would have been mouthing off to the deputies until either their supervisor let me go or I was thrown in jail.
....you get an apology. Start with the shift supervisor and keep going. Get their badge numbers and names and get it on record that they exercised poor judgment in treating a fine upstanding member of the community like a criminal. Keep in mind that while THEY are not elected officials, their boss IS. Ask Darrell Gates how being THE name on the door works out when the department is full of incompetent racist idiots. If you don't get an apology, go to the newspapers and start asking questions that will sell newspapers. Like how does a white 30 something stay at home dad get detained for over an hour for taking a walk? Remember where you are, if average Joe white males can and are harrassed for being white and nearby, half of Orange County is in danger of being profiled. Not to be racist, but it is what it is and threatening to go to the papers or the news to scare your fellow citizens into thinking they might be next will likely get you the apology you deserve.
It sucks, but so did the whole experience I'm guessing. Either way, they are there to "Protect and Serve" not "Profile and Harrass." Abuse of authority is abuse of authority, whether it's a politician, a priest or a sherriff's deputy. And none should have to be tolerated by the innocent.
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
http://www.ocsd.org/divisions/professional_standards/personnelcomplaintform/
You may already have this information, but this is the form for OCD with the numbers to call for complaints... I would highly recomend taking this up... I don't know how good Orange County IA is, but this may get you somewhere....
Joined: 2008-06-21
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