Compounding Irritation

This is a story of a $400+ hit to my wallet courtesy of a small town police chief.

The car dealership where I worked was located on twenty five acres along the frontage road of an Interstate Highway. The property is fenced on the three sides not facing the frontage road. A deep, wide ditch runs the entire length of the lot.

One night someone stole one of my personal vehicles, an older 2wd 1/2 ton Chevy, off the lot. They drove at an angle through the ditch. From the tracks, they got stuck and the bumper was bent from a tow hook when I got it back. Here we have two high traffic roads patrolled by three different agencies (state patrol, county, and city) 3/4 of a mile from three large gas station/truck stops and seven fast food restaurants, a truck in the ditch being towed out, brilliantly lighted, middle of the night and nobody sees anything? Or decides to check? Like that activity is normal?

After my report, a BOLO goes out and my truck is found about 20 miles away. It has a few missing parts, different tires and rims, but is drivable. No, prick small town Chief of Police has it towed and impounded. Guess his crime techs needed some practice. Of course, I get the bill for the tow and impound fees. Lots of reassuring blather about victim compensation when the thief is caught. Glad I didn't hold my breath.

Now the bad guys here are the thieves (may karma bite them in the ass). I am grateful for the sharp officer in another jurisdiction that spotted my truck parked back in the weeds. What bites is the small town Chief who compounded my loss for some b.s. crime scene investigation, I guess, because he could.

One bright spot was Officer Sweetheart took the initial report. She is a medium sized blue eyed blond way beyond good looking who looks much younger than her age. Her personality makes her a delight to be around. Alas, she is married. She is good at her job. One evening I saw her arresting a man at the truck stop. He and his companions were foreigners and seemed unwilling to take orders from a woman. I made eye contact with the two companions and stood there with them until her backup arrived. Very impressive, the way she handled the other man. He slowly and reluctantly complied with her orders but he did comply. After her backup arrived, I went about my business. Never found out why he was arrested.