# Anyone been stalked by local law enforcement before?



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Okay, so I know the title sounds a little odd and maybe like I'm poking fun, but unfortunately I'm 100% serious. Be forewarned...this is going to be LONG.

I was pulled over in February by a local rookie police officer for supposedly not using my left-hand turn signal to switch lanes (even though there was no one around me at the time and the officer was sitting at a red light). I know I used my turn signal, as I ALWAYS do when switching lanes. Regardless, my license was apparently suspended when he pulled me over (turned out that it wasn't actually suspended anymore, as I had taken care of the issue that had suspended it in the first place, it just needed to be reinstated). So, he impounded my car and wrote me a ticket for driving on a suspended license. Fair is fair (didn't know my license was suspended, as apparently the letter got lost in the mail when I moved) and I took care of the reinstatement the next day and my owner/boss gave me an advance on my bonus to help me get my car out of impound within a week. The judge threw out the driving on a suspended license ticket because I got it taken care of in less than 24 hours...and because I was laughing in my driver's license picture.

Fast forward a couple of months. I'm on my way home from work at 11pm, driving down the highway minding my own business, when all of a sudden this big SUV pulls up behind me and sits about 3-4 feet off my rear bumper for no less than a quarter of a mile. I drive a 1986 Ford Escort GT. My car sits very low. Pretty much any car that comes up behind me blinds me at night with just their regular lights on. So I'll admit it. I was micro-seconds away from brake-checking the guy when all of a sudden he flips on his red and blue lights. Turns out, it was another local police officer driving a Ford Expedition. Apparently this time my license plate lamp was out and that was why he sat right off my bumper and blinded me, so he could try to read it. I politely pointed out that he was going to pull me over anyway, so he hadn't needed to sit behind me like that to run my plates. He was actually very nice and wrote me a fix-it ticket, then wrote me a regular ticket for not having proof of registration in my car (even though he admitted that he could see my registration was good). Fine, whatever. 

I got the fix-it ticket taken care of within a couple of days and renewed my registration within a couple of days (it was just about due to be renewed anyway). However, in the hubbub of work and life, I completely spaced the proof of registration ticket. My bad, I accept full responsibility for that. I think because I got the fix-it ticket taken care of and renewed my registration, that my brain somehow thought the proof of registration ticket was taken care of as well. Regardless, I missed my court date and my license was suspended again. We had been having issues with our mail not being delivered, so I never received the letter saying it had been suspended. If I had known, I would have taken care of it ASAP.

Fast forward to the beginning of June. I got off work at 3pm and decided to stop by the grocery store to get some stuff for dinner. When I came out of the store and got in my car, I noticed a patrol car sitting on the other side of the parking lot, backed into a space, but I didn't think anything of it since there's a Subway right there and I figured the officer was probably getting some dinner. So, I pulled out of the parking lot onto the highway heading toward home. I got about a quarter of a mile down the road and decided to stop by my dad's mechanic's shop to look at a pickup that was sitting for sale there. Turned my turn signal on a good 50+ yards before I turned and started to slow because the driveway is easy to miss. Got about 40 feet from the driveway and the patrol car I had seen sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store comes screaming up behind me, fast (no lights or sirens on, though). I turned into the driveway and he followed me, flipping on his lights. 

Turns out it was the same officer who pulled me over back in February. He comes up to my window and the very first thing he does is 1) call me by my first name (ummmm...sorry, but I don't know you!) and 2) accuse me of trying to evade him. Yes, if I had been trying to evade him, I really would have announced my intentions to turn 50 yards before I actually turned! Anyway, I was in no way rude or belligerent with him. He asked if I knew my license was suspended again and I said no. He then proceeds to tell me how he saw "an older guy" who he "assumed was [my] dad" driving my car about a week before and ran the plates because he didn't recognize who was driving my car. Yeah, wasn't my dad. It was my fiance. He said that the RO's license came back as suspended, but since I wasn't driving the car, he couldn't pull the car over. Then, he said that a couple of days after that, I drove past him on one of the back roads while he was on an assault call and he yelled at me that I was driving on a suspended license again. I asked him where that was because I honestly didn't remember seeing him anywhere until he pulled me over. He told me where it was and said that I had "looked right at [him] in my rearview mirror when he yelled at me and just kept driving." Ummmmm...yeah. Okay. I remembered where he was talking about, but I never saw him. I saw a patrol car on the right side of the road and one stopped on the left side right in front of me and I slowed down because the officer from the car on the left was trying to cross the road, but he waved me on. I never looked in my rearview mirror after I passed the patrol cars, my windows were rolled up because it was sprinkling, and I had my radio on. Never heard or saw anyone yelling at me. 

Regardless, he ran my license and it came back that I apparently had a bench warrant from that stupid proof of registration ticket I forgot about. So, he arrested me and impounded my car. Most humiliating experience of my life. I spent the night in the local county jail and the next morning, the judge released me on my own recognizance. She couldn't even figure out why the officer had arrested me. I had to miss a full day of work, I didn't get any sleep, and my employees had to fib to the owner/boss for me (did it on their own, I didn't ask them to) so that I wouldn't get in trouble. As the officer was processing me, he kept trying to joke with me. I mentioned something about how he ran my plates because it wasn't me driving my car and he immediately back-pedaled and said that no, he runs EVERYBODY's plates. Ummmm...what?

So, now I have everything taken care of. It ended up costing me almost $600 to get my license back, plus another $900 to get my car out of impound. I'm so far behind on bills and rent that I can't see a way out any time soon. My parents fronted me the money to get my car out of impound, so I'm having to pay them back for that. 

BUT, my license is valid, my registration is good for the next two years, and my insurance is good for another nine months. There is absolutely no reason for any of the officers to be on the lookout for me. I am a very safe and defensive driver who never speeds, never blows through stop signs or traffic lights, and I always use my turn signals. If anything, I'm a little overcautious. But, I drive a VERY recognizable car. It's a BRIGHT red 1986 Ford Escort GT. It's the only one like it anywhere within a fifty mile radius that I know of. 

Okay, so fast forward to now. My fiance and I were on our way home from my parents' house on Sunday and we passed the one Ford Expedition that our local police department has in their fleet on the highway. We have to drive right by the police station on our way home, so we didn't think much of it when he pulled into the turn lane behind us. It was night time and of course, his lights were blinding us (my fiance was driving because he fits better in the driver's seat than the passenger seat of my little car). We both expected him to turn into the police station when we drove by, but were surprised when he continued to follow us fairly closely (maybe half a car length behind us, if that). Then he started to flash us with his brights. Because he didn't have his red and blue lights on, we didn't stop. He followed us all the way past the county line (we live in the county) and then finally turned around when we were about two miles from our house. Then on Tuesday, I had gone to a local tack shop before I went to pick my fiance up from work. I had pulled out of the tack shop onto the highway and was heading toward his work when I saw the Expedition coming the opposite way on the highway. I glanced in my rearview mirror as he passed me and noticed him slowing down, like he was going to turn around. Since I wasn't breaking any laws, I just kept driving. I got to a local gas station that has been vacant for years that the local police use to sit and watch the highway from and saw one of the Chargers that in the police fleet coming toward me (the officer who arrested me drives one of the Chargers). There was no one in front of me on the highway and as soon as the officer saw my car, he pulled into the center lane to turn into the gas station. There was quite a bit of traffic behind me, so I didn't see if he turned around or not, but you can't convince me that it was a coincidence that first the Expedition slowed down, then the Charger pulled into the turn lane as soon as he saw me. And then there is yesterday. My fiance had picked me up from work and we had run a couple of errands, then were going to the feed store he works at to get some dog food. As we were driving from the hotel to the feed store on the highway, we passed a Charger and the Expedition going the other way. For whatever stupid reason, my fiance (who wasn't speeding) tapped the brakes hard when he saw the patrol vehicles, causing the car to swerve a little (my steering is performance-tuned, so is very touchy). Anyway, we pull into Pet Club, which is right off the highway, and are getting out of the car. I turn around and there is the Expedition, turning onto the side road that kind of leads to Pet Club and Safeway (both stores front the highway on one side and a main side road on the other side). He slowly drives by Pet Club and I could see him looking at us. So, we go in the store and do our shopping, then decided to go across the road to Taco Bell (in the Safeway parking lot) for dinner. We were just about to leave Taco Bell when here comes the Expedition back down the side road to the traffic light and turns left onto the highway (opposite way we were going to go home). 

I don't know. If it had only happened once (like the Expedition driving past Pet Club yesterday), I might not think anything of it, but the fact that it's the same two officers that keep showing up when my car is out and about is VERY disconcerting. I also find the first officer's conduct toward me (yelling at me as I drive by? Who does that?!) very unprofessional. Other people I have told this to have stated that it sounds like he has a crush on me and that's why he is, for all intents and purposes, stalking me. My fiance's brother works for the town as a civil engineer and when we told him what had happened and which officer it was, his reaction was one of "Doesn't surprise me." I was chatting with a tow truck driver the other day, as I had to have an abandoned vehicle removed from my hotel parking lot, and he implied that I am not the first person to have a run-in with this officer and that it wouldn't be too far-fetched if he did indeed have a crush on me. 

I have a relatively high-profile job in our little town of less than 5,000 people. I manage the only hotel in a ten-mile radius. I work with city and county inspectors and officers, have dealings with other business owners and the Chamber of Commerce, and maintain a professional and businesslike demeanor in all my dealings. I have to deal with the local police department on an almost monthly basis when we have issues with guests at our hotel. I don't like almost having a panic attack when I call the non-emergency dispatch for them to send an officer for an issue we're having with a guest and a Charger pulls into my parking lot because it might be this officer. If he feels the need to track my car and act unprofessionally with me when he does encounter me, how is he going to act when he gets dispatched to my hotel to help take care of an issue?

Am I overreacting? My parents think that I need to go into whoever is in charge of the officers at the local police department and talk to them about what has been going on. 

It sucks because I know I'm driving legally, but I'm almost afraid to drive my own car because I might get pulled over for some bogus reason.


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

try calling the police department, and explain what is happening, there was a PD rookie, who pulled my wife over once and tried the tough cop attitude, yelling at her and had his hand on his gun, cursed, and was mean enough to make her cry.. He didn't realize my uncle was his Sargent. I went to his house, and he called the guy in his car from his house phone and let him have it.. he made him take a manditory anger management class, and had bathroom cleanup at the jail for two weeks, and had to have supervised ride alongs for a month.. sometimes newer cops like to be like super troopers, and think because they have a badge it gives them the right to be a-holes


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

I would absolutely be talking to his superiors! What he's doing is bordering on illegal and is dangerous. In such a small town, did you go to school with him at any point? Do you maybe have an ex who is friends with him? Is there any connection to him that you can think of outside of him following and harassing you? It sounds more like a "grudge" to me than just a rookie thinking he's hot stuff. 

Since you have contact with other levels of government, I'd be talking to his immediate supervisor first and then continue on up the chain of command. What he's doing is NOT okay and from what you've said there's an obvious abuse of authority (IMO).


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I'd call and check. Or I'd go in. But, there are places in this country where I would not, either. 

I did get tailed and harassed a bunch after my youngest dated a cops son and they broke up. The police started bothering her so I got her out of the state (SC). How old are we again? I kept her car to drive while I finished a contract. I got followed a lot until I bored them to death, probably.

I wouldn't have ever bothered to try to resolve things with those jerks.

But, I got pulled over three times while driving remote two-lane highways in WY one afternoon. Never a ticket. When I got home I called the sheriff's office to see what was going on. Found out that they were profiling middle-aged women in beat up cars because they are often acting as mules to transport drugs.

Hey. I'm proud of how long I keep my cars running! And middle-aged? Well... that may be a compliment!


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Something similar happened to my wife back in the mid 1990's in the small town of Scottsboro AL.

We went to the police department and complained and they took care of it....


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Regardless, my license was apparently suspended when he pulled me over
> 
> ...
> 
> ...


Honestly, on one hand, I don't blame the officers for watching out for you, as you have quite a few repeat violations. 

If you are indeed in a small town of about 5,000, it doesn't surprise me that the officers know you by first name and know what car you drive. That's what happens in a small town. Especially with your history of violations. 

How many guys and/or cars are even on the police force in a town of 5,000? I'll bet that most of them work in the same area most days. 

I grew up in a town of about 800. We had one police officer and once in a while, a second. You are darn right he knew which kids were the partyers and which ones had repeat DUI's, speeding tickets, and whatnot. That's the downside of a small town. And yes, he kept a closer eye on them. 

Being in a smaller town, you are going to "run into" the same people over and over again because it is small! If the route you drive every single day is the same area that that officer works every day, I suppose you are going to see them often. 

Of course, if you feel that something is over the line, express your concerns to the appropriate level at the law enforcement office. But I don't know if I would say the behavior is out of line. Yeah, the yelling at you when you drive by is a bit odd .... but again, in small towns people tend to feel more "small town-ish" if that makes any sense.


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## kelseyannxo (Jun 25, 2015)

beau159 said:


> Honestly, on one hand, I don't blame the officers for watching out for you, as you have quite a few repeat violations.
> 
> If you are indeed in a small town of about 5,000, it doesn't surprise me that the officers know you by first name and know what car you drive. That's what happens in a small town. Especially with your history of violations.
> 
> ...


Agreed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Wow, this sounds dangerous, and out of line, and illegal. And, it's clearly harassment. I would consult an attorney, and then I would go all the way to the very top and speak to whoever is top dog at the Police Dept./Sheriff's Office. And, I would document everything (I imagine you are probably doing that). But, if it were me, I would also consult an attorney. This cops actions are aggressive, and not aimed at your best interests (the tailgating your car, and so on), it's harassment.

I have had a couple cops follow me around a couple of times, for no apparent reason, one went so far as to pull me over, his story kept changing and he would not tell me why I was pulled over... just like everything else, there are wacko cops out there.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Beau, if I was a dangerous driver or had repeated moving violations, I would agree with you. However, all my violations have been administrative. I forgot to pay a ticket or forgot about a court date. I have NEVER had a speeding ticket or any other moving violation. Even the judge who handled my case said that she was surprised the officer had yelled at me as I drove by.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I agree with what Beau said, Drafty. In a town of 5,000 the crime rate probably isn't that outrageous so that does two things: 1) Definitely puts you in their radar because there's not a lot going on to being with and/or 2) Since you've been living on the wild side wink you're being used to practice their policing skills (whatever that may be) because, there again, they've got time on their hands.

Less likely options:

Perhaps way out there but is there a possibility someone close to you or someone you know is up to something and they're building a case so you get sucked into it every now and again because of your association with them? 

Perhaps there really is a police officer a little off tilt. If that is the case, you can either lay low until they lose interest or bring your concerns to someone further up the chain of command.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A mayor from a nearby town was driving at night in a somewhat desolate area when headlights on high beam came up close then drove alongside, neither speeding up nor slowing down. The mayor told his wife to get on the floor as they figured they were going to be victims of a drive-by shooting. She was hysterical. While the cop was driving alongside he was also shining a spotlight at them so the mayor didn't dare turn his head. Finally the top light came on and the cop forced them to pull over. The mayor recognized the cop who accused them of driving over the speed limit which was a lie. The mayor's car was brand new and he been advised to keep the speed down a bit for the first 500 miles so the mayor was well aware of how fast he was driving. The cop searched the car and demanded the paperwork then let them go. At the next city the mayor complained to the head honcho on duty that night then realized nothing would happen. When he got back home he wrote a few letters to the top dogs and within 24 hrs the cop was on desk duty for 3 months. Super cop was finally grounded.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Sounds like a bad cop who has a grudge. I would report this cop, his actions have been over the top and aggressive.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Small town or not, that is harassment. It needs to be stopped, now.


I was harassed when I first got my license, because of the car I drove. It was bright teal, and sporty... and therefore I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Any mistake I made, I was pulled over and ticketed. Failure to yield (I moved over 1.5 lanes instead of 2 when there was an unmarked dark green car on the side of the road. Since it was dark colored, I didn't see it until I was within 200 ft. Going 45mph, that didn't give m a lot of room to move. So that car turned out to be an undercover cop and I was chased down and ticketed... which included a heavy lecture that was completely unnecessary. While I was being ticketed, there were a total of 15 cars that didn't even bother to yield and stayed in the lane closest to me. So basically I was pulled over so he couch teach me a lesson, and meet his quota. Ugh.

Second time, gravel was put down on a road I had driven for 3 years. I tried to stop the same way I always stopped because the gravel was near the stop sign and slid (was going 40mph on a 35 mph back road) almost into a ditch. I recovered and turned right and continued on just feeling a bit shooken up. Next thing I know 2 cop cars pull me over, claiming I was going 50mph and recklessly driving. I tried to tell them about the gravel but they cut me off saying that they checked and there was no gravel there.. which was a huge lie as they wouldn't have had time to check and there definitely was gravel put down there!

It got so bad, that everytime I saw a cop I would shake. I got my license suspended and had to take classes to earn it back. After I got it back, I saw a cop car and something inside me snapped. I thought "well they're just going to pull me over anyway so might as well give them a reason to" and went 70mph up the 35mph road on Easter day. I got pulled over, as per usual, and didn't shake. I was feeling confident as responded to the officer's questions, got my ticket, and made it back home in one piece. 

That was the last time a cop car bothered me. That was over 5 years ago. I got a different car, and have yet to be bothered.

Needless to say, some cops are really rude. They think young people are all reckless and those that have unusual luck like losing notices in the mail or random gravel placed in a crucial stopping place are the best targets to heckle. Don't let them have power over you. You can still be respectful but take it to their superiors. You don't deserve to live life in fear because of some jerk behavior.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Our police force is surprisingly large for how small our town is. I was incorrect about the size of the town. Apparently as of the 2013 census, we have just over 10,000 people in our town. That seems like too high a number to me, so I almost wonder if they're counting the unincorporated areas surrounding the town in that number (basically, the people whose address reads "Chino Valley," but live in the county).

Anyway, our police force consists of probably 15 officers and five or so sergeants. If I knew this officer from high school or he was a friend of the family, I could MAYBE see him using my first name, but quite frankly, I find him using my first name in the manner he did (like we had been friends for years and almost like he was chastising a naughty child) offensive and out of line. I guess I'm one of those weird people who doesn't like being called by their first name unless I really know the person. I even have a hard time when I'm in a store and the cashier uses my first name.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I agree, using your first name in that manner, and especially after his aggressive actions, is wrong, and just plain creepy. I hope his superiors will do something about this guy, he shouldn't be a cop.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I just want to clarify that I am in no way "out to get" this officer. I don't necessarily want him to lose his job, I just want him and the other officer to back off and leave me alone unless there is a real issue. 

Yesterday, I was driving on one of the main back roads with my best friend (I refuse to drive on the highway unless I absolutely have to because that's where the officers usually patrol). I was telling her about everything that has happened with these officers and stopped at a stop sign. As I was leaving the intersection, I glanced in my rear view mirror and there was one of the Chargers pulling up to the same stop sign with his right turn signal on (I had gone straight through the intersection). I kept driving, but kept an eye on my rear view mirror, just to see what the officer was going to do. He sat at the stop sign for a good 30 seconds, until I was almost out of sight over a small hill, then made his turn as he had indicated. Just kinda creepy.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

It is really creepy, they are basically stalkers at this point. Have you talked to this cop's superiors?


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Beau, if I was a dangerous driver or had repeated moving violations, I would agree with you. However, all my violations have been administrative.


A violation is still a violation in the eyes of the law. 



DraftyAiresMum said:


> As I was leaving the intersection, I glanced in my rear view mirror and there was one of the Chargers pulling up to the same stop sign with his right turn signal on (I had gone straight through the intersection). I kept driving, but kept an eye on my rear view mirror, just to see what the officer was going to do. He sat at the stop sign for a good 30 seconds, until I was almost out of sight over a small hill, then made his turn as he had indicated. Just kinda creepy.


I'm curious: How do you know this was the EXACT same Charger? Or the exact same officer? (Did you see him?) 

You said earlier there are multiple Chargers on the police force and I'm not sure how you know it's the same one unless you see the number on the side of the car. (And at that, officers usually share cars so even though you see the same number on the car, it might be a different officer driving it.)

I've seen police officers do that on many occasions; sit at a stop sign or stop light. Half the time, they are sitting there running something through their computer and are not actually looking around them.


My intention is not to discount your feelings of stalking, but to maybe see things from the other side.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I was stopped for speeding in a residential area. At the time I was very upset about my dying dog & was rushing to get home.
That ticket could have very well saved me a lot of grief as it made me think clearly about what could be happening (getting in an accident, hitting a kid or whatever).
When I sent in the ticket money I also sent a note thanking the officer for giving me an eye opener even though he didn't know it at the time how much he did actually help me. I got a thank you note back from his police chief.

I like cops. Not sure I'd like a stalker type but I think that's pretty rare.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

There are two Chargers in the fleet. One has a parking light that is out on the passenger's side. This is the one that the officer in question has been driving both times he pulled me over. This is also the one that sat at the stop sign the other day and that pulled into the turning lane as soon as it saw me. All of these incidents have been around the same time of day (around 3-6pm, when I get off work). The officer in question is very recognizable, as well. Shorter, blonde, a little portly. I've only seen two other officers driving the Chargers at any time of day: one has dark hair (almost black) and is trim, and the other wears a ball cap all the time (have seen him multiple times and never seen him without it). 

Here's my real issue: okay, yes, I have multiple violations. Fine. Run my plates every few times you see me if you happen to be behind me to make sure I'm still good. That's fine. Follow me dangerously close and flash your high beams at me on a deserted back road at night, but don't bother pulling me over? Turn around and follow me, then stare at me/my fiancé/my car as you drive slowly past the store we've parked at? Maybe I'm too sensitive, but that's beyond creepy and stalker-ish. 

At this point, the officer in the Charger isn't an "issue." Okay, so I've seen him around when I've been out and about. That could very well be coincidence (except for the immediately jumping in the turn lane as soon as he was close enough to recognize me/my car). But the actions of the officer in the Expedition have been a bit aggressive. And I know he's the only one to drive the Expedition because the Expedition is part of the K-9 unit and he is one of the TWO K-9 officers on our police force (the other drives a Durango).
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Natisha, I like cops, too. The majority I've dealt with have been great. Polite, professional, friendly, and helpful. Even the couple of times I've had to call officers for issues at the hotel, they have been great. My car broke down on the road behind the hotel last year and I didn't have the money to fix it right away, so I left it there since it's a semi-private road. One of the officers kept an eye on it without me even asking them to because he noticed I had my saddles in the back of the car and didn't want anyone to steal them (the saddles were worth almost more than the car :lol: ). Those are the officers I like.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## hollysjubilee (Nov 2, 2012)

I can see both sides of this issue.

Police work is dangerous these days, and if I were a policeman (which I just couldn't be), I'd be scared to pull anyone over unless it was someone I already knew/recognized . . . 
so, maybe you are "safe," and if the officer isn't very busy, he's rationalizing that he's just keeping busy, earning his paycheck. If he were in San Jose, CA, or Los Angeles, he wouldn't have time to even notice you.

Either way, the "following" is causing you stress, so maybe set a time limit ("in a month, if nothing changes") or decide "if it happens X more times" that you will go to the Chief or Superintendent and express your thoughts about it and ask that the officer stop focusing on your vehicle.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> There are two Chargers in the fleet. One has a parking light that is out on the passenger's side. This is the one that the officer in question has been driving both times he pulled me over. This is also the one that sat at the stop sign the other day and that pulled into the turning lane as soon as it saw me. All of these incidents have been around the same time of day (around 3-6pm, when I get off work). The officer in question is very recognizable, as well. Shorter, blonde, a little portly. I've only seen two other officers driving the Chargers at any time of day: one has dark hair (almost black) and is trim, and the other wears a ball cap all the time (have seen him multiple times and never seen him without it).
> 
> ....
> 
> At this point, the officer in the Charger isn't an "issue." Okay, so I've seen him around when I've been out and about. That could very well be coincidence (except for the immediately jumping in the turn lane as soon as he was close enough to recognize me/my car). But the actions of the officer in the Expedition have been a bit aggressive. And I know he's the only one to drive the Expedition because the Expedition is part of the K-9 unit and he is one of the TWO K-9 officers on our police force (the other drives a Durango).


I guess it sounds like you've been stalking them as much as they've been stalking you, since you know the exact officers that drive each exact vehicles. That's pretty detailed.

My husband has two very close friends on the police force and I have no idea what car they drive, or hardly can recognize them when I pass them. All those officers wearing sunglasses with short hair tend to look the same when you are trying to concentrate on driving. 

I truly don't mean my comments in any derogatory tone whatsoever, but I do find it a bit odd that you DO know so much about who drives what car. Maybe if you stop paying SO close attention ... the "stalking" will disappear?



DraftyAiresMum said:


> Follow me dangerously close and flash your high beams at me on a deserted back road at night, but don't bother pulling me over? Turn around and follow me, then stare at me/my fiancé/my car as you drive slowly past the store we've parked at? Maybe I'm too sensitive, but that's beyond creepy and stalker-ish.


If you are concerned, then express your concerns from those incidents to the chief of police. 


But I do think _some_ of the things you are bringing up is just paranoia.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

beau159 said:


> ... I've seen police officers do that on many occasions; sit at a stop sign or stop light. Half the time, they are sitting there running something through their computer and are not actually looking around them. ...


^^^ Citizen's Arrest !!! Citizen's Ar-re-est !!

(Above quoted from an old Andy Griffth show.)



beau159 said:


> ... sounds like you've been stalking them as much as they've been stalking you, since you know the exact officers that drive each exact vehicles. That's pretty detailed. ...


That occurred to me, also. Hmmm.


Drafty,

I have had experience with the police 'stalking', or trying to catch my son.

When his Driver's License was suspended they would frequently park at one end of the street we lived on, or the other.

I nearly drove my son nuts calling him to tell him where all the cops were. LOL

There are a handful of Sherrifs in the very small community where I live, I recognize one or two. 

In the little bit bigger town we used to live, I recognized a few more. Especially the one that was at the hospital after my husband's terrible accident. He did later come to the house for an issue with my son. 

And also the ones that came to the hotel were I worked, when I called them in. They were always very quick to respond and helpful.

But, I did not like it when they dropped off people at the hotel who had just gotten out of jail, and their vehicle had been impounded. They usually were not very well mannered guests.


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

Okay, as someone who's entire family is involved in law enforcement and the military, I will say that the one officer driving the Expedition (?) does sound a bit 'off'. The one in the Charger might just be a coincidence. 

I will say that you should give it a bit more time, and if at all possible anytime the officer in the SUV is following you, pull over and take a picture (Make sure your vehicle is in park and if possible off.) If you are out walking around, take a picture, particularly if you can get a decent image of his face. This can be hard to do, but it is what was advised for a woman in a similar situation in my neighborhood when her ex boyfriend got his officer brother to stalk her because she was 'along' his patrol route. (She was two miles outside of it actually.)

I would also be looking into getting that car painted a non-descript color at the vary least. If not outright replace it if you can at some point in the future. You could also try borrowing a car from a relative or a friend for a few days and see if you are still being followed. This would tell you if the officer was watching for your car or if he has been watching for you as well.

I'm not paranoid, but I've seen bad things happen when people let their 'power' go to their heads, especially if they are interested in someone in any possible way. Be careful and if he pulls you over again, get his badge number and name, and the number on the patrol car, list what time of day if he does not issue a ticket or warning and keep it on record. Then report it to his commanding officer and let them know this is the X time he's pulled you over with X amount of time.


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

When I lived in a smaller town (9800 people), I knew a few of the officers and waved to them if I passed them on the road. They came to help me a couple of times at my apartment and were all really nice, but I still recognized them afterward and they'd recognize me. I could recognize who was driving the SUV or the K-9 when I passed them. There are probably 10-12 officers total and I could tell apart probably 5-6 of them. Not to mention you get used to seeing certain officers driving around the same time of the day because of their shifts. Most of the time they don't like to switch their shifts around either.

Now, I have an ex who works for a big city and if I drove past him with his partner in the car, I probably couldn't tell you who was driving because they do look somewhat similar. 

You don't have to stalk an officer to be able to tell some of them apart.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

The recognizing the officers and their car thing is a weird idiosyncrasy of mine that is not restricted to just police officers. I can usually recognize someone's car faster than I can recognize them. It's not something I do consciously. It's not like I sit there and memorize people's cars. I can even tell which construction truck belongs to which guest when they pull in to check in, even when it's the same company and similar trucks, just by small details of their decals or small blemishes or such in the body ("Oh, here comes T! At least, that's his truck. See how the decal is missing the lower left-hand part of the A?"). Even my dad, who is a car guy, is sometimes thrown for a loop at how readily I recognize specific cars just driving down the road. I can go to church and tell you at a glance who is there, just from whose vehicles are there.

As for the officer in the Expedition (who is, as I said, the only officer who drives the Expedition, as it is a K-9 unit and he is one of only two K-9 officers in our town), I agree that his actions warrant more concern than the officer in the Chargers. I can write off the actions of the officer in the Charger (whichever officer that is) as coincidence. Driving 10-feet off my back bumper on a deserted road flashing your brights at me is not coincidence. 

Also, as I said, I deal with the police on a fairly regular basis. In the six months I have ran the hotel, I have had to call the police five times. I have also had to deal with them dropping off drunks at my hotel and had to call the supervisor and ask that they stop doing that, as every time they dropped off a drunk, it resulted in damage to my hotel. In the year and a half I've worked at the hotel, I have had to deal with the police at least a dozen separate times for domestic disturbances and other issues. So, there are a quite a few I know by name and by sight and would be comfortable joking with (such as the sargent who was the DARE officer when I was in seventh grade or the officer who responded to my first domestic disturbance call when I took over management of the hotel and we were in communication for several weeks because we ended up filing criminal damage charges against the guy involved). 

I will give it another couple of weeks and see if things calm down. I was passed this morning by a Crown Victoria patrol car and waved to the officer, who waved back. I need to have a good working relationship with the police force because of my position at the hotel.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

anndankev said:


> ^^^ Citizen's Arrest !!! Citizen's Ar-re-est !!
> 
> (Above quoted from an old Andy Griffth show.)


Haha, I agree completely! There's been many times I wanted to pull a cop over for breaking the law. :thumbsup:


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

If by "stalked by local law enforcement" you mean that my co-workers at the department stalked me through the hospital on my birthday (I work security at a hospital) in order to jump out and surprise me, then yes. But otherwise, no.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I keep trying to tell myself it's coincidence, but it's gone beyond the realm of that now.

Yesterday, I was on my way to the bank to cash a check. One of the Chargers was coming toward me on the highway. I just kept driving. Glanced in my rear view mirror in time to see the Charger duck quickly into the center lane and turn left into the grocery store parking lot. Didn't think much of it and decided to stop at the dollar store before I hit the bank real quick. As I opened the door to the dollar store, the Charger drove by on the highway going the way I had been driving. Okay, I can chalk that up to coincidence, even though it's a little odd.

After I got done at the bank, I stopped to put some gas in my car at the grocery store. Pet Club, where my fiance works, is right across the road to the south of the grocery store and clearly visible from the gas pumps. I was standing there waiting for the pump to shut off when I see an officer in one of the Chargers pull into the Pet Club parking lot, turn around, and leave the parking lot. Now, the Pet Club parking lot is NOT an easily-maneuverable area. There are much better/easier places to turn around in than that parking lot...namely the post office next door (which I've seen them use to turn around in) and the Safeway parking lot across the street, where I was. My fiance usually takes my car to work because we work similar schedules (I work 7am to 3pm and he works 7:30am to 4pm), so my car is in the Pet Club parking lot quite regularly. That's kind of stretching the bounds of coincidence, if you ask me.

Then, I was talking to a couple of my fiance's coworkers and I asked if they had seen the Charger turn around in their parking lot. They said they didn't that day, but that quite often in the afternoons one of the Chargers will do a slow drive-by of the store or will cruise the Safeway parking lot (the Pet Club employees have to park at Safeway now because their parking lot is too small to accommodate all their vehicles plus the customers), especially on days that my fiance is working. They said on the days he isn't working, they don't usually see any officers at all.

So, on Monday, I'm calling the DMV to see if I can get something stating that my license and registration are valid, then I'm going into the police department and seeing what I can do. The reason I'm getting something from DMV is because when I got pulled over and arrested, the officer claimed that in his system, my license showed that it had never been reinstated from the first time he pulled me over back in February, but it had been (I had been issued a new license with the date of issuance on it, which is kind of hard to argue with). I'm wondering if something similar happened this time and it's showing in their system that my license is still suspended when it isn't.

I don't know anymore. That's just WAY too much coincidence for me, especially in so short a time.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I've hinted at this before, Drafty but I'm really starting to think you need to look more closely at what your bf is doing when he's out and about -- maybe he's the real 'person of interest' for the police.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

He goes to work after he drops me off, then comes and picks me up when he gets off. He's usually pulling up to the hotel by 4:15pm (he's off at 4pm). Other than that, he doesn't drive my car and on his days off, he either stays home (the brakes on his truck are bad, so he hasn't driven it in over a month) or he goes and does the vending machine route with his younger brother. If he works on a day that I'm off, I'll usually drop him off at work and pick him up, so I have the car all day. The only other place he goes is his best friend's house (who lives just a couple of miles from us) and I would MUCH rather he hang out there than anywhere else. He has completely stopped talking to any of his friends that were doing drugs or drinking excessively (which is pretty much all of them except his best friend, who doesn't do either of those things).

So no, I trust him completely.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I hope you have reported this? Sounds like this cop is a nut-job.

Unless something very unusual happened, your information with the DMV should be current and updated for all to view, I think this cop will say and do anything.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Remali said:


> I hope you have reported this? Sounds like this cop is a nut-job.
> 
> Unless something very unusual happened, your information with the DMV should be current and updated for all to view, I think this cop will say and do anything.


I'm going to Monday. I can't prove that it's the same officer, but it's the same car and the same time of day every time, so it stands to reason that it's the same officer.

All I know is that when he arrested me, he ticketed me for possession of a fake driver's license because he said mine had to be fake because it showed it had never been reinstated from that first time he pulled me over. The judge threw that ticket out without even looking at it, BTW. I asked the DMV and they said that their computer showed that it had been reinstated and that the officer's computer should have showed the same. I even have a printout from the DMV that shows it was reinstated and what date. I just want physical proof that it's valid so that if I DO get pulled over again, the same thing doesn't happen.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rain Shadow (May 1, 2014)

I showed this to my dad who is a retired small town cop. His opinions on a few things. 

Using your first name. When he ran your plates, he probably saw your name. Some officers are more friendly than others, and he might have just being friendly. Similar to a UPS driver seeing your name on a package and calling you by it. He wouldn't be worried. Though he will say his old partner James, was well known for being a bit flirty with the girls, and would often use their first names. 

Following you. You've had a few offenses. Yes, you forgot, but the cops don't know you. For all they know you are a trouble maker. He said anyone with a few offenses, he'd keep an eye out on. 

Your car is easy to recognize. It probably sticks out in the officer's mind. Dad said he had an orange 71' Chevelle with a twenty-something year old driver who was a party boy. He says you an bet if he saw that car go by, he'd turn and keep an eye out. The guy had never gotten into any big trouble, mostly minor fights and loitering nothing even to do with the car, but it was just being safe to watch him a bit closer. 

The Expedition. The guy is probably being overcautious or a bit of a jerk. He'd worry the most about him. He says the flashing his high beams at you might just be his way of saying 'Hey, I'm keeping an eye out" Or he could be a big headed troublemaker looking to cause trouble. He'd talk to some higher ups, and see if this man has other complaints against him. You might not be the only one.


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## Tack Collector (Nov 10, 2009)

Chevaux said:


> I've hinted at this before, Drafty but I'm really starting to think you need to look more closely at what your bf is doing when he's out and about -- maybe he's the real 'person of interest' for the police.



^ THAT. I've lived in small towns, and I dated a small town police officer. And they are not just watching you. They are watching EVERYONE, and if it's a small town, there isn't much going on there that they don't know about. Maybe your bf has some shady friends or activities? I live in a real small town now, and it seems all the younger people are into drugs, theft, and drinking. (I'm over 40 so to me, teens and 20s is "younger people." lol)

You have some violations, like a string of them recently. But that will wear off IF you are not doing anything illegal anymore. And IF you are, to put it bluntly, being cooperative and respectful to the police and not giving them any attitude. Be disrespectful, and they might have it in for you because you are one more carpy thing than makes their jobs carpy jobs. Comply and get out of the way. If there's nothing to see, they'll quit following you around.

My other thought is you are of interest to them, because you work at a hotel + you have a "record." Lots of illegal things go on at hotels, and maybe they just watch you a little more closely because you work at a hotel + are not a straight arrow. Again, you can solve that by keeping your nose clean and staying on the right side of the law. As someone already said, a violation is a violation. The cops were just doing their jobs on that, not singling you out for special harassment.

Could be that their jobs are a bit boring, too, and watching you gives them something to do. Maybe they actually do LIKE you and they think you are crazy for dating the guy you are dating. Quit being so paranoid.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I have been. I'd forgotten about it. Hubby had loaded the pick up with cut firewood plus a trailer made from the box of a pickup. When he stopped for gas, the most unpopular cop pulled up, looked things over. Asked hubby for licence, registration etc. which he produced. Then the cop kept hanging around. Hubby became impatient and said "Are you going to ticket me? If so, do it, if not, F.... off". The cop issued a ticket for over weight. How would he know, there were no weigh scales for 40 mi. Hubby waited for it to go to court. Cop had to attend on his time off and judge said cop had no grounds to issue the ticket. Soooo, any time cop saw me driving he'd pull me over, ask questions of hubby's whereabouts. One night he blinded me with his lights, just like the mayor I mentioned previously. I was mad and told him this had to stop or I would take it to his superior and his superior if I had to. We were sick of this guy trying to be super cop. He got his come uppance. He was chasing a big motorhome but no lights on. Motor home signaled, made a right turn just as this cop decided to come up on his right. Nasty accident. His fault but his injuries were bad enough that he was permanently retired.


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