Complaint Review: Baltimore Maryland City Police - Baltimore Maryland

June 30, 2008

Driving home from my Father's wake, I was in the Northern section of Baltimore approaching I95 South when I was pulled over by a patrol car. I lowered the driver side window. The Caucasian officer sat behind me with his lights flashing for several minutes;

He approached my vehicle and said in a clearly disrespectful tone of voice "drivers license and registration" while shining a light into my eyes. I was a bit overwrought having just been to my Dad's wake and fumbled around a bit more than I normally would for my registration; then I realized that he had pulled me over because my tags read May, 2007.

I had paid for my tags and registration on November 24th, 2007 and had asked that they be mailed to my home because I was in Charlotte, NC taking care of my father, who was dying of lung cancer; I was gone for months and when I returned there were no tags at the post office where my mail was being held. I had to return to NC and was not driving the vehicle; I gave it little thought.

I did have a print out however that showed that the tags were paid for, the date they were paid for and the new exp date, May 2009. It was in my vehicle but I did not realize and frankly was not given a chance to get my bearings

I had placed one of my business cards on top of the front dashboard where it would be visible - on the back I had written "tags are paid for but have not been received" to avoid parking tickets.

I said to the "officer" "oh if this is about the tags, they are current, I just haven't received them in the mail and handed him the business card with the note on it.

He said, "Have you been drinking? I answered "yes, I had one drink earlier at the wake" It had been hours earlier. He said "turn your engine off and get out of the car - give me the keys" I did. Meanwhile two black patrolmen had joined us and were standing behind my car and on the passenger side, shining lights into my vehicle. I was directed to sit on the ground and not told why.

The first "office asked me if I had any alcohol or "other things he should know about" in my car. I said I did not. He began searching my car while one of the Black patrolmen attempted to engage me in a conversation that was obviously designed to anger and possibly escalate the situation to a point where he would be justified in issuing me a citation or arresting me. I refused to take the bait.

Next thing I hear is officer number one loudly announcing "I found som grass!." I couldn't see him from where I was sitting and I said "what?" The three officers guffawed like buffoons and I said to the black man that was standing over me "you and your colleagues are making me nervous" to which he replied "oh he's just messing with you" (!!) and then "why are you nervous and I said "I don't think its proper to have a citizen sitting on the ground after coming from his father's wake, making jokes about illegal drugs." He answered something to the effect of "you're running your mouth - he was just messing with you" and I said "excuse me, I wasn't "running my mouth; you asked me why I was getting nervous and I was answering you..

This was interrupted by officer number one thrusting my business card with the note at me and saying "did you write this?" I said I had. He said "well I wish I could believe you but I don't" Now let me pause here for a minute... in what universe does that comment make sense? I call it harassment. Also, what kind of people, knowing that I was coming from my Dad's memorial service would continue to joke and hassle me? I call that twisted.

It gets better. I heard officer number one radio dispatch and ask who my vehicle was registered to and when the tags were expired and I heard the reply: a female voice said my name and May, 2009. At that point I watched all three of the patrol men and the looks on their faces was priceless - disappointment mixed with a tiny bit of expression that said "maybe we weren't too bright to hassle this one"

Officer number one put up a good front - he sauntered over to me: "stand up" he said and gave me my license which he had been holding ... then, "here - you can't be driving around without displaying valid tags I could fine you three hundred dollars blah blah blah. (I felt nausea) I took the license and said "I heard you ask the dispatch for information about my registration - what was the reply about when my tags expire?" he mumbled "May, 2009." I said "that's what I thought" and walked towards my vehicle

Don't forget your keys, one of them yelled (I turned around to see if they were on the ground and didn't see them) ..."they're on the roof" one of them said - well, I hadn't reached my car yet and when I did they were clearly in view, scratching the top of my vehicle where officer number one had tossed them (in other words, information not needed.).

I got into my vehicle and took a few minutes to reorganize my car after it had been searched - I could hear the patrol men guffawing behind me as they stood around their patrol cars, had at work.

Now for the clincher: half way home, I remembered that I had a stalk of the herb lavender that had been a part of a special arrangement at my father's wake - all of his immediate family each took a piece home with us. It was GONE. Then I remembered the crack about "grass" and realized that the dolt had taken the commemorative lavender out of my car (God alone knows for what purpose.) I was livid; I mean furious. I had done nothing wrong - if they could have cited me with anything they would have.

I was left feeling humiliated, and violated; I felt like I had just encountered vermin and needed a shower. When I got home, I called the precinct and did not allow the answering officer to talk over me as he was attempting to do. I told him what happened - he gave me a number (talking in triple speed) I said "you're talking to fast - and I need a writing instrument, hold please - got a pen and took down the number. So, I called the number and guess what?

No one answered, and there was no answering device or service. This was for the internal affairs department of the Baltimore City Police. I intend to see that these people pay for robbing me of closure for my father's death and for being insulting ("where was the wake? how old was ya father?" one of them asked - "76" I replied - to which he said nothing.

Most of all, I will see justice done for the removal from my vehicle personal property that had great sentimental importance to me and the accompanying disrespectful "joke" about "grass" that went with it. I will keep talking and investigating this until I get satisfaction - I will not take this kind of inhuman (forget unconstitutional) behavior by a bunch of hooligans thinly disguised in shabby cop garb. Perhaps they are one reason that our country seems to lack a cohesive moral code these days.

I've heard that to be a cop you have think like and often act like a criminal. here's a case-in-Point.

Vance

Washington, District of Columbia

U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on various Police Departments