We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, till custom make it.
Their perch and not their terror
William Shakespeare
All things being equal, all deputy sheriffs in Yuba County are not. Pray stay with this old geezer and all will be revealed in due course. It is always a bit of a shocker to meet up with a deputy sheriff who answers a call for assistance and arrives with a pre-set mindset as to how he will deal with the caller. Mind, in Yuba County, it is a safe bet that the chap will not be as 'au fait' as he claims and has bought into the 'urban legend' that he comes into a troubled area, to deal with one who is less than brilliant.
Sounds a bit harsh to say this, but it is quite true. If you read body language, and MOI does, you quickly pick up the attitude of a deputy sheriff that falls into the ME against THEM. HE is the law, resplendant in unifrom, massive pistol strapped to side and badge on chest. It will be he who decides what the law is and it will be his impression of the situation at hand that will dictate how HE will guide one in the 'letter of the law'.
Truth be told, MOI asks for no special treatment from the coppers who visit the property. It follows that if one is going to do the 'right thing', bending the rules is just not done. Mind, a little 'out of the box' thinking is always helpful and appreciated. More times than not, the situation has several angles and one has to step back and view with an open mind.
To be visited by a copper who will not 'listen' to the cry for help, is most disturbing. The law is not always as cut and dry as a copper would have you believe. To be told that civil action is the only course is to ignore the larger picture. To be fair, that is my opinion, not shared by the copper who came.
I resent coppers who hide behind the law, or at least their understanding of how the law might apply to a situation. Given that no one person has all of the answers, the copper in the field has to but get on telephone and ask for guidance.
In the past, coppers have come round with snaps of folks they seek, to get information on where the evil makers might be hiding. The coppers are very big on gathering information when it suits their purpose. Leaves no doubt that if the coppers want to get someone, they will. or send a clear message that it is time to fold tent local.
This old geezer is not a copper, did not attend the police acamedy and does not wear a badge or have a massive pistol on hip. Living has given some insight into what wicked looks like and tries to catch things long before ruin sets in. Being pro-active helps to warn off evil doing before they get too settled.
What lay waste to the Linda Villa, the road and community round was the lack of attention to the 'evil doers' who had set up shop. One by one, the flat were filled up with folks who had nothing to lose and went about ruining the 'quality of life' of the good tenants and neighbours.
The fight to right the wrongs of the past is on-going and requires all of the help that can be got from what ever quarter it is offered. Some coppers who truly care have been of much help in the fight against crime and drugs. Some brave men and women of the Yuba County Sheriff's Department see their duty in higher terms than a pay packet, they are a part of the community they 'serve and protect'.
The copper on partol depends on local folks to keep him informed as to what is happening on his beat. Sadly, not all of the coppers who answer calls for service to Park Avenue have a vested interest in turning round a troubled community. It is just a job, not a calling. More's the pity that.
The obtuse deputy sheriff who came to answer a call for help will go home and feel that he did all that he could do, never giving thought to how his actions make one feel less inclined to engage his help in the future. It may well be that this old geezer is right in feeling that the fight to help a road and community right self is the work of the folks who live on the road and are a part of the community. It is too much to assume that coppers care one way or another the outcome of trouble that lands here.
The copper who came to the road failed to apply the 'broken window' solution to the problem faced. He took the safe path and did nothing to prevent future harm.
If the law supposes that," said Mr. Bumble, "the law is an ass, a idiot."
Charles Dickins
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