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July
2003
| You know the story.
Every month, The Committee meets in a sleazy motel in Hayes,
Kansas to figure out what to do for copcar of the month.
Well, this month, they simply refused to come up with anything
until I showed my face and paid them all the money I owe them
for months and months of toil.
So, here I was driving through
the Land of Ahhhhhhs when I decide to stop and take some
pictures of some good looking copcars in Overland Park, KS.
Now, I prefer not to bug anyone while taking pictures and
anything in public view and with public access is basically fair
game. Fenced, posted "authorized personnel" or
in some other way having banned access means a trip inside to
seek permission, shoot with a long lens or otherwise forget the
pictures.
But Overland Park, hometown of
Toto, was wide open. No fences, everything visible from
the street, no signs indicating that it was anything but
"police parking". So, observing their wishes and
knowing The Committee was waiting impatiently, I parked amongst
the civilian cars and walked over to the driveway and began
snapping away.
Then I met Sgt. Cohen, a graduate
of the Willistown, PA, Police Academy, no doubt.
|
copcar dot com
presents: "We are
on high alert, you know". In the
shadow of Willistown.
| Now I must admit,
being in a hurry, I had tried to grab pictures of OPPD cars
while driving through town. But it's tough, so I finally
found the PD. |
| This is the park-like
view you get when you arrive at the PD and drive up the driveway |
| And of course,
there's the sign that indicates no public parking.
Pretty much the description of the parking lot in Willistown
last year. In actuality, though, this sign is more like a
department memo, reminding the officers that unmarked cop cars
can't park here. I have to say the policy is oft violated. |
| Some quick shots and
I am out of here, I figured. First a DARE unit.
Taking this picture of a car marked for community service and
public relations shouldn't be a problem until Sgt. Cohen,
walking to his car 100 yards away, decided it was. |
| A turn to the right,
from the same spot and I captured a van. Little did I
know, man, I was "goin' down". |
| The shot that did it.
Cohen pulls up in his unmarked car and asks me what I am doing.
Apparently, due my thick middle-eastern accent, he decides I am
a terrorist and doesn't believe that I just want pictures.
I am ordered to provide ID and an explanation. Okay, I'll
go along with that. After all, he did say "We are on
high alert here". |
| I happily gave him my
ID, my business cards and other information. Now, I
figured those five stars on his chest indicated he was a 25-year
veteran and it would be no time at all before he figures out
that he hasn't caught Osama but I was wrong. Apparently he
still needs a little more experience in sizing up people.
As he ran me for warrants, he actually called for back-up. |
| But after 15 minutes
of warrant checks, Sgt. Cohen decides he's going to lecture.
He waits until his back-up arrives before he approaches me
again, since I am obviously dangerous. I agree, in
my thick accent, he might have thought I said
"Afghanistan Terrorist" when I told him I was an
"Accident Reconstructionist".
First he repeats for the third
time that they are under a high security alert. I ask why,
thinking maybe some mad person is loose in Overland Park.
Nope, just shades of 9-11. Next he tells me he is not
going to seize my photos. Good thing, I think while I
stifle a laugh. He tells me he's not sure of the legality
of me putting the OPPD pictures on the Internet but he warns of
the civil ramifications if I do.
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| And the stern warning
of entering "private property" to take a picture.
I had entered "a place restricted from the public", he
says, though he couldn't show me something I might have missed
in the way of limited access. "If you want to follow
the cars around town and take pictures of them on the street,
then we probably can't do anything to you", he says.
He finished his 10 minute lecture
with "Do you have any questions for me?" I
didn't. Well. Actually, I did. "Is that a
2001 or 2002 Crown Vic?"
Incidentally, days later, I asked
a retired KHP Trooper, without saying a word about this
incident, what he thought of OPPD . His response:
(rolling eyes) "Oh Jesus, they're weird. They think
Russia is going to invade someday."
Now before you start sending hate
mail, let me reiterate. I do not advocate entering
restricted areas to shoot photos without permission. I do
not advocate arguing with an officer who stops you and inquires
about your business. I do advocate fully
cooperating with an officer who does question you.
But I am also opposed to the
post- 9-11 paranoia that seems to grip this country.
I have had several stories related to me recently wherein people
are being detained and even having film seized simply because
they happened to take a picture of a US police car.
Let's get real.
Thanks, Sarge. It's great
to know that the citizens of OP can count on your tenacity in
keeping a lookout for terrorist invaders.
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