My spouse went to the Budget Hearing for the Town Manager and various other departments on Monday. I did not attend-BUT I may have to make an exception-I MAY attend Wednesdays Budget Hearing and you know why!!

Guess what department they will be discussing? Yep-the Police Department!!

I really wasn’t going to bother because as I have stated before-they really don’t listen-but after what I heard Monday night-I STAND CORRECTED (which doesn’t happen very often).

Apparently, the Town Manager IS LISTENING-FINALLY. Look we have the videos of Town Council meetings on the Town website-BOY wasn’t that painful?? And look, no businesses moved out of town!!!

Now, for the piece de resistance-every year for God knows how long, I have been saying-NO NEW POLICE CARS UNLESS absolutely necessary. And every year, the T.M. gives the cops a few cars even when these cars have had less than 100,000 miles on them.

I have always heard the argument, “oh you know these cars are not safe for the police to drive around” THEY AREN’T?? I always asked, was the frame bent, was the car rusted out completely?

“Oh no, the seat is ripped, or we bought a new computer and it doesn’t fit in the old cars”

That is akin to buying a new sofa, and it doesn’t quite fit through the doorway of your home so you buy a new home!!!

“Well we can’t ask our officers to drive these cars, they are several years old and not safe”

WHAT?? Then if that is the case, then why are you SELLING THE CARS TO THE PUBLIC?? I always argued that-if they are not safe for officers WHY would they be safe for the general public?? DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!!

My spouse is a state employee- he is a field auditor which means he is OUT in the field all day. HE DRIVES HIS OWN VEHICLE-He does not get a state car-he does get mileage but that is it!! All maintenance and repairs are on us!!

His car ( a 1991 Camry) has OVER 280,000 miles on it-He drives it ALL DAY all over the state!! My car is a 97 Corolla. It HAS 198,000 miles on it. I DRIVE IT EVERYWHERE!!

Where do these people GET OFF with cars being unsafe because they might have 100,000 miles on it or LESS or are several years  old?

“Oh we base our opinion on what the PW garage says.”

If that is the case-GET ANOTHER OPINION!!

Well finally, IT MUST HAVE SUNK IN. Apparently, the TM is ZEROING OUT ALL NEW CAR REQUESTS FOR THE PD!! I think I died and went to heaven!! I keeping checking my pulse-I can’t believe it!!

WHAT HAPPENED!! WILL WE BE SAFE!! WILL THE BUSINESSES MOVE OUT OF TOWN because the Police aren’t getting a few new cars? That is what they base everything on in this town-”don’t make waves, don’t talk about this or that-don’t disclose that or this-because of the businesses in town”

WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT!! IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS AND IT IS MAKING MONEY-THEY WON’T GO ANYWHERE!!

There are business in major metropolitan areas, BAD AREAS that stay put because THEY ARE MAKING MONEY THERE!!

CASE CLOSED.

Now don’t get me wrong-IF the police need a new car or equipment-they should get it-I have always said this. But maybe if they really need a new patrol or undercover car-they SHOULD take it out of the Elim Park Gift Account, which they might do.

I just wonder what the Town Council will do. I hope they go with the TM’s request.

Also: a idea was brought up at Monday’s Budget Hearing to automate the Town Hall phone system. In other words, when you call, you would get a recording telling you to push one or two or whatever depending upon what department you wanted.

I know this is not great customer service, and people DO still expect a live person to pick up the phone at their town hall, but to cut back on expenses, even just for a while, it MIGHT be prudent to look into this. It would free up the employees and allow them to do more work.

This particular town that I have a link to below, is doing this automated system just during Spring and Summer. This is like Pontiac Mich, they are laying off all their school employees after June 30 and are calling them back as needed. Not a PERMANENT thing, just implemented when it Is NECESSARY and is most cost efficient.

When faced with “choices” like cut back or lose your job, most employees will “cut back.” Something is better than nothing.

Click here for story on automated answering at Town Hall.

Now speaking of the Police, I did get a comment which I will not run because the people wanted it private-about a motor vehicle stop that took place in Cheshire Saturday around 3 a.m. in front of the Congregational Church.

Apparently these four men, in their 30′s who are professional business people, were returning from Mohegan Sun Casino and were traveling home. They passed through Cheshire and GUESS WHAT HAPPENED??

Did you guess?? I am waiting-YES you are right!! They got pulled over-WHY? BECAUSE IT WAS 3 a.m.!!

Now look, I know A LOT of people who are out at that hour MAY be intoxicated or up to no good-that is life. If I drive in certain areas of certain metropolitan areas DAY OR NIGHT I may be stopped-right or wrong-especially if it is an area where known drug dealers are doing business.

These people told me that when they were pulled over the police officer asked if they had been drinking, These people said the another cop came by but the officer, seeing they were not “kids” said that he could handle it.

The driver told me that when he told the cop he had one beer, the cop said “are you sure you didn’t have more?”

The driver said he then told the cop he had ONE BEER at 8:30 p.m. and “it is now 3:30 a.m.”

Apparently after that the cop said, OK, you are free to go sir, drive safely.

Now these people asked if this was legal. Well, I will have to say-yes. This is a gray area-because police are only supposed to pull you over if they SUSPECT something-or see you weaving or driving over the speed limit which these people were not.

Unfortunately, even driving slow arouses suspicion because many intoxicated drivers do drive SLOW. Some drive fast. So, the bottom line: even though it really isn’t RIGHT, if you are out late on the weekends or late on St. Patricks Day or New Years Eve or Thanksgiving or the night of the Prom when some people DO A LOT OF DRINKING, you should not be surprised if you are pulled over.

Sometimes you have to use common sense. My son went to his car  at 2 a.m. that he had parked in parking lot in Hamden across the street from his apartment building because someone had taken his space and parking is limited there. He just went to get his cell phone-and guess what?? The cops were all over him!!

Right or wrong-probably wrong-but what would you think if you were a cop and saw someone going into a car at that hour?? I would have called the police station and told them I had to go to my car to get my phone so they would have known nothing was amiss. Sounds like overkill, but that is how it is today.

I did call Mayor Henrici and tell him that the cop was pushing it-the flashlight in his face-calling for backup-You know, you asked a question, you got an answer-LEAVE IT!! I am sure these cops can tell when someone is UP TO SOMETHING AND LIEING!!

This is what happened in Cheshire. You got an answer, you did not smell alcohol-stop pushing it!! That is what bothers me more than pulling someone over. It is the “we HAVE or we WILL make you out to be a liar”

Well, guess what?? Most people aren’t!!

If it continued to happen, then that is another story. But the cops have a right to pull you over and question you IF THEY SUSPECT something is amiss. Just driving late at night should not be suspicious, but try proving that in court!!

Here is a link that discusses this very issue: When CAN a police officer pull me over??

Click here