A rant and a question

This is my first thread and I am sorry if I do anything wrong. My daughter is 23 & the father of my two grandstands, is also 23. We live just outside city limits, one street away. Up the street is a small machine rental place, fork lifts, generators, things like that. The place across the street has been a couple things. An international trucking company, they reworked on semis, school buses and other big vehicle s. There is a gas station 2 mins away My daughter and the bf walk to that gas station, where the bf works. (These two have been together since 8th grade) Neither one of them have EVER been in trouble or even had run ins with the law.
They get stopped on a regular bases for WALKING down the road. Once when they were 16 and just walking the dog a state cop almost hit them because he drove his car straight at them and fast. I think really he was seeing if they would run from him. The bf was stopped in a car with a law abiding friend leaving our road onto the main road( again just going for taco bell and a stop at his job) two nights in a row the boy friend was stopped.
The excuse given is" there are break ins. Where I do not know. Both my daughter and the bf smoke and not in the house. They both are night owls and the bf works nights. When he is off he stays up all night to keep his sleep straight for work. They are outside all hours of the night and even in the cold they sit out there with their computers. They have a clear eye shot to the building across the street. The other business is less than a 1/4 of a mile away with two houses in between us. So for the past 8 years my kid and the boyfriend have been stopped on a regular bases for just walking to the store or walking the dog.
My brother in law has taken offense to my post on Facebook, I just gave the basic story and said I would think EVERY State Highway Patrolman would know my kid by now and know she is just going to the store. I also said if break ins were still going on after all this time, I would think they would have been caught by now or have gotten what they were after. He said "they were doing their job and if they were not people would say they were lazy, Damned if you do, damned if you don't."
Am I wrong for being mad that they keep stopping my law abiding child? They are walking, nothing they have done gives anyone reason to suspect they are up to no good. Also, these State cops ALL get their gas at this gas station late at night when my might as well be son in law works. So they see him sometimes twice a week. Please tell me if I am wrong for being mad. I also want to post under my status on this. If you don't see an issue with law abiding people being stopped for WALKING down at street at any hour, well you must be a cop!!
My brother in law is a great guy and a good cop and these guys stopping my kid have been nice. Oh, they have more than once made recently their pockets too! Sorry, this is long and thanks to anyone who reads this.

I live in Ohio, if it helps.
Sorry, see I am new to the starting thread thing. I should have edited the thread post and put this in.

reply to post by kaidec


Hopefully, the police are just being diligent, and not trying to target or harass your kin.

I don't know, sounds like you live in a relatively small and private area, and for quite some time. The police should know you folks. Maybe a little pleasant outreach to them, introducing your family and explaining their night jobs and habits, along with an offer to join the "Neighborhood Watch" or something might go a long way.

It's your community. My advice, make the police your friends if you can. A little P.R. can go along way, maybe.

Just my 2cents.

Good luck.

Hello OP, and congrats on your first thread!
I can absolutely understand your anger and frustration....seems these days we are all guilty until proven innocent.
All I can say is, tell your kids not wear 'hoodies'....you just never know who is on 'neighborhood watch' these days!
S&F....keep on posting! (The ATS variation of 'keep on truckin', lol)
jacygirl

reply to post by windword


Yep, small town and only two very small blocks that have residents. After 8 years, I would think they would know these two. Really what it comes down to is think it's wrong that they stop these two doing nothing wrong and not only run checks on them but have made them empty their pockets. Thank you for the advice, I just might try it.

reply to post by jacygirl


Thank you! They may wear hooded sweat shirts but they are either bright colors or they have coats over them. They never put the hoods on. We really don't have a neighbor hood watch. One block is 99% older people and my block has a wide range of ages. My block only has 5 homes. I'm glad they patrol but this America or at least I thought so.

LOL! Youre first thread is fine

When I was a teen we had moved from New Orleans to a very small town for my dad to set up another construction company in Tn. We were stopped all the time. It was like a hobby for the cops to harass teens and see what was up. We never got purposely scared by a cop car coming at us, but it was a pretty regular thing " who are you, where are you going," etc... like they didnt know us. We were the only ndns in town. LOL! We were drinking down at the river and this cops came. The one cop was a very fat woman and I recall her yelling ( while huffing and puffing trying to get down the hill) " DONT MAKE ME CHASE YOU!!" LMAO!!

My husband was born and raised in small town Nebraska.. same thing. Teens/20-somethings harassed all the time. I think it makes good sense in some instances, but what youre describing seems malicious.

reply to post by Advantage


Thanks for sharing and making some sense. Also for making me laugh! I guess my big issue is, they are normally made to empty pockets and they run a check on them. I keep telling my kid to tell thrombosis is not tempting her pockets and no they can't have her name. She is doing nothing wrong.. My wonderful daughter who has really bad social anxiety( thank goodness she is use to being stopped) says" mom it is just quicker to give it to them so we can be on our way." She is right and it would probably just make them sit somewhere and wait for them to leave the house. I am thinking of taking a walk with them one night, 's probably not a good idea.

reply to post by kaidec


I think it would be a great idea to take a walk with your daughter. If stopped then you could politely ask the officers why you were stopped. But ask politely and don't resist because it could make things worse.
This would also give you a chance to meet them and get on their good side. Me, I'm friendly with all the cops in my area and it does pay off. I'll Ask them how their shift is going and what not. Just friendly conversation. And you'll see that they are normal people like you and I. Some of them are bad apples of course but you get that with every profession.

reply to post by kimish


I'm going to take a walk with her. I don't have an issue with cops. I myself have only been pulled over once. By a State Highway Patrol as well. His excuse was " you were to close to the car in front of you" I gave him an odd look and he then says I know he pulled out in front of you. I really don't have an issue with them asking where my kid is going, even though it really is not their business. I have an issue with her name being blasted across the police scanners multiple times a month. I also have an issue that they have made her empty her pockets and purse. I could understand if they were doing something wrong, sadly some of our city cops are "bad apples and they contention you for walking down the street unless you are too drunk to safely walk. Thanks for reading and commenting.