Sir: I chose policing as a career in the UK in the 1960s. I went through my three-month training course and was assigned to a station in my home county constabulary.
I loved my work. We did not carry guns and by and large were treated with respect.
When I read the article in The Chatham Voice June 13, “Cops’ actions under review,” I could not help but smile but then scowl as I read what has been going on for decades.
I was a “beat” officer, which meant I patrolled a certain area of the town on foot. Talking to residents, seeing children across the road and watching out for infractions. One day I was writing a parking ticket for two cars that were illegally parked in front of a building on a side street. Someone came out of a nearby office and ran over to me and said. “That is the chairman of the council’s car.” I said that I did not care whose car it was as it was parked illegally.
In a market town in the UK, parking in those days was at a premium, especially on market day, so we had to be strict about it. Later that day I was called into the Chief Superintendent’s office and he was holding the ticket I had issued.
He asked me if I knew who owned the car and I replied in the affirmative. He then asked me to squash the ticket. I asked him about the other ticket on the other car and he said, “Oh you can let that stand.”
I said, “No, I am sorry, sir, but the law is for everyone. If I get rid of one ticket, I get rid of both.” The Chief was not pleased but agreed.
I was a bit of a rebel in those days and I felt that being a police officer was my chance to practice the things my parents had taught me, such as truth, honesty, integrity and ethics.
Later that year, one of my sergeants asked me to ticket all the cars parked in front of the police station and on down the street to the movie theatre. It was evening and not a lot of traffic. I really did not see the point, but did as I was told and ticketed everyone on the street starting with the sergeant’s private car.
Naturally, a bit later that evening, the sergeant came to me waving the ticket I had put on his car. He was rather cross, actually he was furious, and asked me to squash the ticket, but I said, “Well, if I squash yours, I have to squash them all. Fair is fair.”
A lot of drivers got a free pass that evening and the sergeant was anything but pleased with me.
Then there was the magistrate that fell out of his car drunk after hitting several parked cars. He was on the bench the next morning handing out fines for drunk driving to others less fortunate than him in terms of his office.
I was offered a lot of freebies from merchants if I would look the other way, but I could not. Fair is fair. What is good for one is good for another. If you break the law, then take your punishment.
I am sad to see it is still going on but what do I expect in a world no longer concerned with truth, honesty, integrity and ethics?
Bridget Goldsmith
Chatham
