I Don’t Get It

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May 10,2017 I had my 2nd. ride with a cop, and rode a different shift. 10:30 PM until 3:00 AM. Officer Bryan Vautin was the officer in charge of my safety as we rode the north end of the city where crime can be observed daily.

We talked as he rode me into sections of WPB I never knew existed,while he pointed out different sights and troubled areas of the city.

Bryan’s first stop took us to an area off the beaten path where he said folks do drugs, and abandon stolen cars. He spotted 2 people sitting in a car and stepped out to investigate.The young man handed Bryan a joint smoked down to the roach clip, and Officer Vautin mentioned the driver was extremely nervous for having such a small amount of pot.
He asked for his drivers license and discovered it was suspended,same story with the young lady in the car.
Officer Vautin asked the young man if he had a problem with a search of the car, and was told no he didn’t have a problem with it. At this point a second officer had arrived for backup.
Officer Vautin found a gun, loaded with 10 rounds. The young man said he bought it about a year ago from someone he didn’t know. When Bryan ran the gun it came back as stolen from Riviera Beach. Both officers questioned the young man and he was adamant he didn’t know the name of the man who sold him the gun.
Officer Vautin confiscated the gun and said it would be tested against gun crimes committed. I asked him what would happen if the gun was used in a robbery or murder within the year the man claims he bought it.
The information would be turned over to detectives who would investigate further. The young man had no outstanding warrants and no felony convictions and the police did not arrest him, while telling him to call for a ride and not drive the car. Young man got a break.

Officer Vautin continued on patrol when a call came over the radio saying another officer on patrol saw a flashlight come on in a business, that was possibility being burglarized. The call came at approximately 2:00 AM. He wasted no time responding to the call and when we arrived there were 4 cruiser ahead of us. The business was a one story and officers set a parameter around the building.
Across the street from the business were very large storage containers and Officer Vautin was asked to climb the container to insure someone wasn’t breaking in by way of the roof.
I witnessed officers shining flashlights into the building, when I heard an officer report the back of the building had a garage door, and it was opened approximately 3 feet. Another officer reported he could see a woman inside.
I watched Officer Vautin climb down from the container and run toward the building. Officers identified themselves and told the woman to come to the door which she did.

Unfortunately I wasn’t surprised when the business owner verbally abused the officers because they woke her up. (she sleeps in the back room of her business)
Officers witnessed suspicious activity and investigated, which most people would be grateful for. Not this owner. The owner was yelling loud enough I heard her across the street.
Police requested her to place a sign in her window with a contact name and phone no. explaining they would have called the phone and asked if someone had permission to be in the building. She said she would not post any sign’s in her window, and her phone no. was not the cops business. I can’t comprehend how anyone can be so angry when police are concerned about a possible burglar breaking and entering, and risking their lives to protect her property. She should have witnessed Officer Vautin climb to the roof of the storage containers, (if he fell may very well have broken his neck) to enable him to view the roof in an attempt to protect her business.
This was my second ride with a cop and both times I witnessed officers shown absolutely no respect by people of color.
I don’t get it.
The most shocking scene I witnessed this night was the number of young kids (I’m talking young teens) riding bicycles and walking the streets in groups of 3-4 at 2:30 AM. Where are the parents of these young children who walk the streets doing God knows what?
I don’t get it!

The third Thursday of every month a “Peace in the street March” led by Rev. Kevin Jones. At the May walk I met a new lady who joined us from Century Village. Folks come from all over the city to walk but most times police outnumber the marchers, and you will rarely see a marcher who lives in the north end neighborhood.
I don’t get it!

One of the greatest inventions in my lifetime was the television, a small round screen, black & white. The curse of the TV are the commercials but recently two commercials caught my attention.

Pepsi Cola commercial showed a group of black protestors holding signs reading
“peace” “love” and “join the conversation.” The protestors were facing a line of Police Officers when a young black woman (Kendall Jenner) broke from the line, walked to an officer and handed him a can of Pepsi
It’s not clear what the smiling, attractive demonstrators are upset about, the only clues being their placards. I absolutely loved the commercial, and watched it twice, before the nightly news reported Pepsi had pulled the commercial do to an uproar from the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Pepsi Cola stated their intention was “Trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize, we did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”
I don’t get it.

“Watch Your Med’s”
Shows an older gentlemen opening his medicine cabinet, and taking a pill. When he closes the cabinet it shows a young woman taking one on his pills.
The other shows an older woman, on crutches, opening her cabinet and swallowing a pill. When she closes the cabinet, there is a young man swallowing a pill.
This commercial runs often, and when cities recently ran a program allowing people to turn in their expired or un-used medication records were broken on the amount turned in.
This one I get.