A Cop With A Heart & Common Sense

“…telling the story of  a cop with a heart and common sense is going to take awhile…so come back often.  Let’s begin.” -Lynn

There are more of us than you think.  It’s just that cops with hearts and brains don’t normally shout about it.  The only reason I can now, is that me and my badge are retired.

And, boy, am I going to talk.  After thirty years behind the badge, it’s about time to let it out.

There’s more to being a cop than being tough and pushing people around.  We’re supposed to protect and serve! 

A cop with a heart understands the book, and doesn’t break the rules, but bends them on occasion.  We’re all human, and just because we’re wearing a uniform doesn’t mean we have to be jerks.

On a dark rainy night, many years ago, one of my men stopped a car because the tag was out of date.  The driver was going home from her night shift.  She had 3 kids home alone, from 13 down to 2.  She told the officer she was getting paid in 2 days and would bring her receipt for the tag to him at the office.   She was nearly in tears, exhausted and on her last dime, just wanting to get home to sleep.  She’d been driving the dark streets, hoping to not be stopped as she drove with her expired tag.

He called in for a tow truck, and was going to arrest her being disrespectful to an officer.  I heard him on the radio and I broke in telling him to hold his position, I was on my way.

When I got there, he was pacing and the young woman was crying softly with her head buried in her hands.

I pulled the officer aside and asked him a question.  ”Doug (name changed to protect the guilty) do you remember me stopping you for driving like an ass when you were a teen?”

“Yessir,” said Doug, “You were good to me.”

I continued, “Remember the time you had the pot in the car?”

Doug gulped. “Yes.”

“Remember me calling your parents and keeping my eye on you for the next year telling you I was going to kick your ass if you did anything stupid again?”

“Yes. You gave me a break.  I was just 16 and that’s why I’m a cop today.”

“You grateful, Doug?”

“You know I am.”  Doug was hanging his head and looking over at the woman nervously.

“Then show it.  Pass the breaks on to those who deserve it.  What is it going to hurt you to follow her home so she gets there safely, and let her get her tag.  Show some courage.  Anyone can write a damn ticket.   You gonna  arrest her for cryin’ and raisin’ her voice?? Christ!  What are you gonna do when someone spits in your face? Shoot ‘em?  If you don’t want to babysit her kids all night, let her go home.”

Doug looked at me.  He was silent, then nodded.  ”I get ya, sir. I get ya.”

He motioned for the young woman to come over to the cop car.  Tearing up her ticket, he wrote her a warning, and said “You go on home, now.  Payday, you get that tag and bring the receipt in to me.  This is just a warning.  Have a nice night.”

I play-punched him on the shoulder, got back in my car…and continued the beat.  Doug was going to be a good cop when he learned that there was strength in letting some people have a break.

—I’m Lynn, the man who drove the beat, behind the badge, for thirty years.