I will add my voice to those that are asking for an investigation of the Menlo Park Police Department.
I’ve had two interactions with the police in the past five years and both times I came away thinking, “I pay for this kind of rude and uninterested person?”
I believe that whatever is going on inside the department, the internal conflicts, if any, seem to leave officers little time to be helpful to their employers — us, the residents and taxpayers of Menlo Park.
In applying to Mexico for a Documento Migratorio, I needed a resident card because I have a home there which required a letter from my local police attesting to my being a citizen in good standing in my city of residence in the U.S. I went to the Menlo Park Police Department in person as required and when no one approached me at the desk, I sat for more than 15 minutes while I saw police officers working at their desks, walking around, talking on the phone, chatting with each other, and so on.
I finally approached the front desk and asked out loud to no one in particular, if someone could help me. Then a police officer, who has since been promoted as I’ve seen his picture in the paper, very slowly came up to the desk and was evidently appalled that I had the temerity to bother him.
He asked me what I needed. I explained and he told me it would take a little time. I replied I had lived in Menlo Park for about 35 years and had no previous contacts with his department. He just looked at me without expression and said I needed to wait while they checked all the records, not only of Menlo Park but of nearby cities.
In my opinion, this was an unnecessary and uncalled for response on his part and I have never forgotten his rudeness. I eventually got my letter after a wait in which no one, least of all the policeman helping me, seemed to have any interest in providing me with the letter in a quick, positive, efficient way. When I thanked him before leaving, he just looked at me.
The second interaction with local police happened when an older gentleman with a very old and battered car cut me off and grazed the front of my car with his. This man was quite angry. He got out of his car and demanded that I pay for the damage to his car. I went into a shop nearby and called for a policeman to help resolve this issue, and when one appeared, he listened to my story, looked at the two of us, shook his head, and told us to resolve the issue, that it wasn’t his place to do so and got in his car and drove away.
What are the police so busy doing? Besides Starbucks and 7-11, where are they?
Patricia Gracheff lives on Theresa Court in Menlo Park.
