Where or Where?

So, in September of 2008, I came home from taking my son to the doctor and picking up his antibiotic to find my door had been kicked in. I'd been gone less than 3 hours and my door frame was busted as the deadbolt (yes, I always lock it) had torn through the door frame. I could see my TV and DVD player from the busted door. Could someone still be inside? Taking no chances. I used my cell phone to call police and waited.

And waited. I called my husband who'd been working in Eagle Mountain. He started heading to home.

And waited. Husband arrives. Still no cops. When an officer shows up 5 minutes after my husband, I explain the situation, why I'm concerned that someone might be in the house since I could easily see electronics from first glance. He calls for back up. So we wait another 10 minutes for his back up to arrive. They go through the house. The thieves were long gone. They stole a third of our DVDs, camera, camcorder, and all my jewelry (most of it costume and worthless). My husband fixed the door that day and reinforced the frame with a steel plate around the deadbolt. Insurance covered the cost and we moved on with our lives.

However, I've always wondered why it took so long for a response.

Now, I know. They're chasing high school kids in certain type of vehicles, just looking for something they may be able to ticket them for.

About 3 years ago, my father purchased a used Jeep Grand Cherokee from a friend who took immaculate care of it. It had darker tint windows. Since then, my father has been pulled over 3 times. Never got a ticket. This year, as my father experiments by going one year without driving a car, my youngest brother is the lucky driver of the Cherokee. Or is he?

Since school started, he has been pulled over 5 times. Yes, FIVE TIMES. All of them, on his way home from school. Four times, the cop said he was going a little fast but never gave a ticket. Really? My brother knows as 17 year old boy he has to be above and beyond the traffic rules. I regularly go 5 over thinking no cop will ticket me for that but my brother doesn't push it all. When he's pulled over, his only response is "Yes, sir" and "No, sir." My brother likes to be fashionable. He has long hair. I think he would look good either way but it makes him happy. The cops look at the car (apparently a magnet for cops) and my brother's hair and think, "What could we pin on him?" This last time, he left from an orchestra concert for Christmas (yes, my brother is an amazing musician) and it was later, dark. He saw he had room to pull out on the 35 mph road. The cop he saw further down the road starts to follow him and eventually turns on his lights and pulls him over. The reason, and I quote as my brother relayed it, "I don't like the way you yielded." No, you didn't fully stop or didn't use a turn signal but I think that even though you had room to pull into traffic, I don't like the way you did it. The cop proceeds to sit in his car for 20 minutes. Can't find anything else to ticket him for after his 5th pullover. Comes back with a $90 ticket saying Failure to yield. He came to a full stop, used a signal, saw an opening and pulled into traffic. But he's a 17 year old kid with long hair and his parents have dark tinted Jeep Grand Cherokee they allow him to drive to his many after school activities.

I think my father should fight it. My father thinks its a waste of time to appear in court before the city judge who will know the city cop with his 17 year old boy. Even though he may not come out the victor, my sense of outrage would have me down there if it was my place. I may be, scratch that, I am naive enough to think that harassment based on profiling should at least be attempted to be called for what it is and every effort to stop it or not put up with it.

I certainly hope no one in my city gets their door kicked in, but if the cops take awhile to show up. You'll know what they are doing.