How to avoid the police

If you have to call 911 in an emergency, you are typically glad when a police officer shows up. When someone smashes into your car, you are happy for a police officer to show up and cite the driver of the car who smashed you. When someone has wrecked on the highway and the traffic is blocked for miles, you are happy for the officer to show up and start the process of the traffic moving again. Typically, you are glad to see a police car go through your neighborhood indicating the police are present. Often, the presence of the police is a deterrent to a would-be criminal. When there is a domestic violence issue, an unruly person at a ballgame or gunshots heard down the street, you are normally glad for an officer to be on the scene to help resolve the problem.

For the most part, police officers are our friends who show up and sometimes even risk their lives to help us. Most of them are not overpaid and, in many cases, are very underpaid. A deputy told me recently he made $12 an hour with no benefits, not even medical insurance. 

Currently, we are in a police bashing stage in our society. Police have been caught making some bad judgements. Lives have been needlessly taken by some cops and others needlessly harassed by police. No one likes to see needless death. No one wants to be harassed by police. Too many instances have come out in public view of police doing the wrong thing. This has incited a nation of people who have reported they have had similar experiences and are sick and tired of police brutality and harassment. 

However, we say we want police to show up when we are being hurt or robbed or treated badly by an evil person. Some of the ways then to avoid confrontations with the police is to not drive drunk. Drunk drivers kill people, and Americans want drunks off the highways. Don’t try to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. Store owners don’t want your bogus money. It’s illegal. Don’t shoplift. Don’t be involved in looting stores. Don’t vandalize property. Don’t hurt people. Don’t deface property that does not belong to you. Monuments are set up with a combination of public, private and tax dollars. They are not set up for a hoodlum to deface. If they need to be taken down, there are proper channels for removing a monument. Don’t buy, sell or use illegal drugs. You’ll end up in jail. Don’t drive 80 mph in a 60-mph speed zone. You increase your chances of being pulled over by a policeman and receiving a citation and a confrontation you probably want to avoid. 

Overall there are a lot of good police and troopers in America. They work hard and aren’t receiving much affirmation right now. If you don’t like them and want to avoid them at all costs, then don’t break the law.  ♦

Glenn Mollette is an author of columns, inspirational devotionals and 12 books. Contact him at GMollette@aol.com.