THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ ‘LA NOSTRA COSTA’ KNOW THAT CHP OFFICERS PATROLLING THE OLD COAST ROAD HAD A GREAT INFLUENCE ON ME CROSSING OVER TO THE POLICE PROFESSION.
THE ARTICLE BELOW WAS SUBMITTED BY CHP OFFICER AL WILSON (LaNorma’s Husband), WHO APPEARS IN THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT. THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT IS OF CHP SERGEANT AL VOIGHT, WHO STARTED HIS POLICE CAREER WITH ME AT THE SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT. BOTH OF THESE OFFICERS SERVED MANY YEARS IN THE SANTA CRUZ AREA. THEY ARE RETIRED NOW AND LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
THE ARTICLE BELOW WAS SUBMITTED BY CHP OFFICER AL WILSON (LaNorma’s Husband), WHO APPEARS IN THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT. THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT IS OF CHP SERGEANT AL VOIGHT, WHO STARTED HIS POLICE CAREER WITH ME AT THE SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT. BOTH OF THESE OFFICERS SERVED MANY YEARS IN THE SANTA CRUZ AREA. THEY ARE RETIRED NOW AND LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
ALL OF US WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR TIME IN THE 'MURKY WORLD' OF THE POLICE, HAVE HAD, AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, THE THOUGHTS THAT ARE EXPRESSED IN THE ARTICLE.
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LOUSY COP – UNTIL YOU NEED ME
Well, Mr. Citizen, I guess you have figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category you place me in. I’m stereotyped, characterized, standardized, classified, grouped, and always typical. I’m the Lousy Cop.
Unfortunately, the reverse isn’t true. I can never figure you out.
From birth you teach your children that I am a person to be wary of ….and then you’re shocked when they identify me with my traditional enemy, the criminal.
You accuse me of coddling juvenile criminals, until I catch your kid.
You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer if you see me having just one cup.
You pride yourself on your polished manners, but think nothing of interrupting my meals with your troubles.
You raise Hell about the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I’m picking on you.
You know all the traffic laws, but never got one ticket you deserved.
You shout “FOUL!” if you observe me driving fast enroute to an emergency call, but literally raise Hell if I take more than ten seconds responding to your call.
You call it “part of my job” if someone strikes me. But it’s “Police Brutality” if I strike back.
You wouldn’t think of telling your dentist how to pull a badly decayed tooth, or your doctor how to take out your appendix, but you are always willing to give me pointers on law enforcement.
You talk to me in a manner and use language that would assure a bloody nose from anyone else, but you expect me to stand there and take it without batting and eye.
You cry, “Something has to be done about all the crime!” but you can’t be bothered with getting involved.
You’ve got no use for me at all, but, of course, it’s OK if I change a tire for your wife, deliver your baby in the back seat of my patrol car on the way to the hospital, save your son’s life with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or work many hours overtime to find your lost daughter.
So, Dear Citizen, you stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my job, calling me every name in the book, but never stop for a moment to think that your property, your family, or maybe your life might depend on one thing – Me, or one of my Buddies.
Yes, Me, The Lousy Cop.
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LOUSY COP – UNTIL YOU NEED ME
Well, Mr. Citizen, I guess you have figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category you place me in. I’m stereotyped, characterized, standardized, classified, grouped, and always typical. I’m the Lousy Cop.
Unfortunately, the reverse isn’t true. I can never figure you out.
From birth you teach your children that I am a person to be wary of ….and then you’re shocked when they identify me with my traditional enemy, the criminal.
You accuse me of coddling juvenile criminals, until I catch your kid.
You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer if you see me having just one cup.
You pride yourself on your polished manners, but think nothing of interrupting my meals with your troubles.
You raise Hell about the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I’m picking on you.
You know all the traffic laws, but never got one ticket you deserved.
You shout “FOUL!” if you observe me driving fast enroute to an emergency call, but literally raise Hell if I take more than ten seconds responding to your call.
You call it “part of my job” if someone strikes me. But it’s “Police Brutality” if I strike back.
You wouldn’t think of telling your dentist how to pull a badly decayed tooth, or your doctor how to take out your appendix, but you are always willing to give me pointers on law enforcement.
You talk to me in a manner and use language that would assure a bloody nose from anyone else, but you expect me to stand there and take it without batting and eye.
You cry, “Something has to be done about all the crime!” but you can’t be bothered with getting involved.
You’ve got no use for me at all, but, of course, it’s OK if I change a tire for your wife, deliver your baby in the back seat of my patrol car on the way to the hospital, save your son’s life with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or work many hours overtime to find your lost daughter.
So, Dear Citizen, you stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my job, calling me every name in the book, but never stop for a moment to think that your property, your family, or maybe your life might depend on one thing – Me, or one of my Buddies.
Yes, Me, The Lousy Cop.
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5 comments:
AMEN TO ALL THAT!
From one who appreciates all law enforcement people and all military. They are all heros to me.
The introduction to this article appeared in the June 21 edition of the FARSIDER the weekly publication of the San Jose Police Benevolent Association, Bill Mattos,Editor/Publisher. The FARSIDER is sent (via the internet) to some 600 active or retired Peace Officers around the World. ivano
In regards to retired CHP Sergeant
Al Voight, Al actually joined the San Jose Police Department a short time after I did (early 1960s). A year or two later he joined the CHP. At the time we had a Captain (later to be Deputy Chief) named Elmer Klein. When Al resigned from the SJPD to join the CHP,Elmer, who was known by some as 'The ELK' (his initials),made a remark that went something like this:
"Al Voight quit our Department to do the same job with another Agency for less pay. Now that makes real sense to me".
At the time the State of California tended to pay pay 'lip service' to their Police Agencies, not real money. ivn
Ivan....I remember Al Voight and his partner Loren Marburg, later CHP Lt in Hq in Sacto. In fact in the "old days" when Al was the midnight Sgt in Santa Cruz office, he and a two man car...the only one they had on duty....used to show at the Hyatt for a coffee stop and burger "cause he remembered the good old days when the Hyatt was in fact a substation for all local law enforcement agencies. Bob
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Thanks Bob. Bob Moir is a retired San Jose Police Lieutenant. His memory regarding the past is only exceeded by his enthusiam for living the present. In writing that book re: "Mia Vita E La Polizia" I will have to rely heavily on Bob's recollecton of past events.
GB (Gran Blaggatore)
Just a little more trivia about Al Voight and Loren Marburg: in the "old days" CHP officers were restricted on their moonlightimng activities. Couldn't work security jobs. Marburg was working as a teller/cashier (plain clothes) at the Band of America 2nd and San Carlos. Seems there was a "fiasco" in the bank...in the way of an armed 211. You might get Al Voight to give you the "straight skinny" on the subsequent shooting and events surrounding the incident and the blood all over the floor (counter). If I were to do it it might be too embelished...and both Voight and Marburg are still alive to point vs counterpoint the situation. Couldn't have been too disasterous as Marburg made Sgt then Lt. Bob
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