View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > July > 20
Friday, July 20, 2007
Kindergarten — no, make it preschool — cop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hi, kids. We brought the police car and thought you’d like to climb in it and look at the radio and — (many hands in the air waving).
Before I can select one of the 20 hands in the air, the questions begin.
— Have you ever shot anyone?
— My name is Ricky. My mom says the police only put bad people in jail. My sister is bad. I can have her here in 10 minutes. Can you take her?
— My dad says that you’ll lock me up if I don’t eat my vegetables. Why would you do that? Have you ever eaten them? Yuk.
— They said you were going to bring a helicopter.
— You don’t look as cool as the guy on CSI.
— My uncle said you guys would bring donuts and not to tell you his name. His name is Bobby.
— Have you ever shot anyone?
— Hey officer, it’s me, Ricky again. What did you decide about my sister?
— My mom has some handcuffs in her sock drawer.
— My uncle says you don’t have to take the drunk-test.
— Do you have a dog?
— My mom says if we have a problem we can ask the police. My problem is my sister.
— Have you been on “C.O.P.S.”?
— I was told there would be a helicopter.
— So, if people don’t take the drunk-test, how do they become drunks?
— Have you ever shot anyone?
— Don’t tell my Uncle Bobby I told you his name. His last name is Richards — just don’t tell anyone.
— My sister is over there on the playground. She can’t run fast. You can probably catch her.
— I know what the emergency number is. It’s 911. I call it every day and tell them I like the police. They tell me they like me too and then they ask me to hang up.
— Go ahead and lock me up but I hate carrots.
Finally, the two-minute attention span has passed and the kids get to climb in the back seat of the car and look past the cage to the computers, and then slide out so the next group can slide in. A group picture is taken with the officer, the teacher and 15 kids, seven of them with their fingers in their noses, one crying, and one who just looks happy to be here. Ricky was nice enough to shut the doors for us.
We climbed in the car and when I adjusted the mirror, I saw the top of this little bitty head. I adjusted the mirror to reveal a little girl with a big smile on her face, just looking around.
“Ah, you must be Ricky’s sister.”
