Coppin' It

Respecting a badge can be akin to the surfeit of authority a bully has when he is surrounded by his allies, except in the case of the badge, it is a sign of authority granted to men and women so that they might enforce the complex system of rules and regulations our culture's devised as a means of drawing order from chaos - although one can't easily withdraw from the feeling of pontification to a bully when questioned by a police officer, even when one has done nothing wrong. A relationship that for intents and purposes is like a relationship that finds its genesis in a smoky-lit bar. Are you sure you want to sleep with this person? Will you be sure when the alcohol and stimulants wear off? Is this person really of the gender you find appealing?

Did I really cross the yellow line? Was I really 10mph over the speed limit? I didn't make a traffic signal?

David William Scheid, 47, a former deputy with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office who was named Zolfo Springs chief in 2005, has been charged with two felony counts of official misconduct; one felony count of grand theft, one felony count of tampering with a witness, one felony count of fabricating physical evidence and one count of petit theft. According to the arresting agency, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the charges are the result of a month and a half long investigation into allegations of falsification of training records, sale of property held as evidence and the conversion of items seized as evidence for his personal use.

So next time you're buying a stereo from a cop, ask yourself, will I still want this stereo when the alcohol and stimulants wear off? Should I worry that the stereo for sale has an evidence sticker on it and nail polish stains?

Florida Police Chief Arrested (North Country Gazette)