Does the overabundance of police bother anyone else? As I was passing through Woodruff Park the other day, I stopped to observe the light show our law enforcement officers put on. For reasons unapparent to me, citations were being issued left and right to the sounds of their dubstep sirens.
The National Motorist Association published an article addressing the issue where they mention that “traffic tickets are a multi-billion [dollar] industry. They have virtually nothing to do with highway safety, but they have everything to do with money.”
We as citizens are being unfairly penalized at a high rate, and it’s time we take action to reduce the amount of tickets being issued and the costs at which they come.
I am no fan of cops, but first, a disclaimer: there are many upstanding officers who joined the force to protect our society that do make heroic efforts. This past summer I became acquainted with a small group of sheriffs with whom I worked at the facility where I was employed. Not only were those guys mad cool, but honest to their duty.
With that said, APD is getting out of hand. I see less saving and more citing every day. While traveling I-75/85 North not too long ago, I passed by a speed trap like none I’d ever witnessed before. An entire fleet of cops—about 15 in total—on their motorcycles gunning drivers. #NoLie #PutThatOnEverything
Maybe this was a training day, but from the smiles on their faces, it seemed more like a field day. At least they did have actual radars, but the time at Woodruff Park was even more infuriating to watch. It’s like they were playing “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” with whomever they wanted to pull over next. It was worse than Panama City during spring break, and I’m witnessing more and more of these occurrences.
I myself have been a victim to these unwarranted stops. And every time, the cop asks the same rhetorical question: “Do you know why I pulled you over?” It’s the same question that stumps all of us, and Jay Z’s clever response always seems most accurate and appropriate for me to use: “’Cause I’m young and I’m black my hat’s real low/ Do I look like a mind reader sir I don’t know” (“99 Problems”).
And the bigger issue is that it’s no longer just a black thing. This isn’t the Rodney King era—everyone is being targeted. And after signing off on that yellow slip, we all face something most of us can agree on: we’re guilty until proven innocent. Not the other way around, as it should be.
They recite that B.S: “By signing this you’re not admitting to guilt,” or something along those lines. But we all know what happens when we go to court. It’s our word against the cop’s, and the judge is deaf to anything we have to say.
The government has shut down and since then I’ve noticed an even more dramatic rise in police presence. I know how ignorant it would sound to say the shutdown would also include a day off for our law enforcement, but the pigs are long overdue for some layoffs. I’m not suggesting anyone lose their job, but just lay off our asses. It’s time we advocate for this change.
