Tag Archives: Opinion

It Only Cost a Dime…

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I saw an Internet story about a sixty-eight year-old man who recently lost his job at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage for a crime he committed almost fifty years ago.

Back in 1963, Richard Eggers used a cardboard cutout of a dime in washing machine at a Laundromat. Apparently, he got caught and was convicted. The story I read said that Eggers called the escapade a ‘stupid stunt,’ and isn’t happy he got fired.

Making a long story a little shorter, the gist of the article reported that in May of 2011 and February of this year, new federal banking employment guidelines went into effect. The more stringent procedures were meant to weed out workers who were guilty of transactional crimes…identity theft, money laundering, breech of trust or dishonesty.

In the past, before the new regulations, banks construed federal rules to exclude misdemeanor crimes.

But what has happened in today’s environment is that financial institutions are afraid of penalties that might be levied by the FDIC. So, Richard Eggers was fired from his job over a fifty-year-old petty theft.

There is a waiver process that employee’s can follow to show they’re still suitable to work in a financial institution – however, one of the qualifications is that the applicant can never have spent a day in jail. Mr. Eggers served two days in jail and doesn’t qualify.

Mr. Eggers is learning a tough lesson.

It’s a lesson that parents everywhere should be telling their children. It’s a lesson that employers should be sharing with those they’ve hired. It’s a lesson for everyone. Let’s take a closer look. 

Even back in 1963, a dime wasn’t a lot of money. You could buy a candy bar with a dime. If you had three dimes, you could get a gallon of gas. So, the fact Mr. Eggers tried to use a fake dime in a washing machine was a petty crime, even back then.

But, the lesson to be learned is that we don’t know what the future will hold. Who would have predicted the vast advances that have been made in technology where banking would be done from your own home? Or, in 1963 who would have believe it, if you’d said there would be machines where you’d stick a piece of plastic inside, you could get money in return? No one. No one could have predicted how society would handle their money today. No one could predict the huge issues the world is facing due to identity theft and the like.

But one thing that does remain constant is that everyone should follow the law. While I am empathetic to Mr. Egger’s plight, I’m not sympathetic. I don’t know what prompted him to stick a cardboard dime in a coin-operated washing machine, but whatever the circumstances, he was breaking the law. He knew what he was doing was wrong.

With that said, if I’d been the police officer to respond to that call back in 1963, I probably would have given him a stern lecture about right and wrong, and sent him on his way. I’d love to know the full story of the dime in the washing machine –  my cynical mind tells me there was probably more to the story.

But, is it possible that those ‘common sense’ allowances made in those bygone years, helped to create an atmosphere where, people didn’t respect the law as much? Do you think that a teenager back in the early 1950′s who got caught shoplifting a dollar pair of sunglasses and then was only given a warning, might have figured nothing happened the first time, so why not try it again?

Today’s consumers are paying for those early ‘warnings’ given to thieves. Shoplifting is now an organized crime with crews of crooks going into stores and clearing merchandise completely off the shelves. In the 1970′s and 1980′s many stores started prosecuting shoplifters because the merchants were losing too much money. But although great strides have been made, the shoplifting genie is out of the bottle, and retailers are struggling to put it back. But I digress…

The bottom line is this: There is no way to predict how your actions today might affect you down the line. Look at people who lose their jobs over pictures posted on Facebook or other social media. 

The best course of action is to do the right thing and don’t intentionally do something you know is wrong or risky behavior…because the ‘dime’ cost of a reckless action might balloon into a million-dollar blunder fifty years from now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time,

KMA367 

 

 

 

From Cop to Writer – Different But the Same

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One of the things an applicant for the Los Angeles Police Department has to do in the hiring process is to be interviewed.  In my day, there were two police sergeants and a civilian on each interview board, and part of their duty was to determine if a person ‘had the right mindset’ to be an LAPD officer.
I know that one of the first questions I was asked was: Why do you want to be a police officer?  My reply, in part, was about wanting to help people. Not surprisingly, ‘helping people’ is a very common thread in applicant replies to the question, about why a person wants to become a cop.
With my new career of writing stories, if I’d been asked why I wanted to write, my reply would have been: I want to entertain people while giving them a glimpse into the world of the LAPD.
Little did I know that my writing career would achieve the same result as my police career.  Through my writing I’ve touched someone. I’ve helped someone.
I got this letter from a young woman and I was so impacted by her story and her words I asked her if I could share them with you.  She agreed.
The lesson to writers: If you think what you write can’t or doesn’t make a difference…think again.
This is the actual letter by the young woman I’ll call, Miss H…
Reading is by far not my specialty. I’m about three grade levels under my own on reading skills. Sure I can read your average every day children’s book but anything over 100 pages puts my heart in shock. In other words, I don’t read much.  
When I bought my Barnes & Noble Nook Color, I for sure thought, “I just wasted a perfectly good 240 bucks!” 
See this is where I was wrong. I ran across your book, A Dozen Deadly Roses, one day while sitting on my couch listening to the bickering and arguing of my dysfunctional family.  
At first I just skimmed over it then I took a second look. I decided to buy the book and open a page or two to see if it was worth reading. My journey through your book began slow, to slow. Then something caught my eye, Jade.  
Shockingly, we have much in common; a remarkable, strong willed mother, filling her duties as a cop in everyday life. It was everything I dreamt of being.  
I felt a strong connection with her and Donnie. My father is an alcoholic, I knew exactly what Jade was going through.  
Although Jade became a new idol in my world, I felt myself many times screaming at her, “why won’t you tell Mac that he’s the father, why?!” Then I realized it was for the better. It opened my eyes to that you shouldn’t always do the expected but rather do what’s best in that situation for you and others involved.
I also love the fact that you use to be an actual LAPD cop. When I read that about you, my heart skipped a beat. I felt like I had even more of a connection with your book because for once a fiction book wasn’t so fiction anymore. Your book had more life in it; it wasn’t “just a book” anymore. I loved that.  
My desire to be a cop has been a dream of mine for a long time. However, my mom and others like to crush that dream. Jade gave me a lot of courage in reading this book. She showed me that I need to be brave and stand up in what I dream and love. Jade also gave me the strength in my heart that seemed so broken from others. She made a light shine in me like no one has ever done before.  
Reading your book has changed my life.  
I was doubting my future before I read your book; here I had planned my whole high school diploma based on wanting to be a cop, and then it was just gone, like it wasn’t even worth any of the time I gave it. 
I felt lost, like a loser in a big ocean of popular people. 
Jade’s character made me open my eyes and realize that it’s my life and I can do anything I want to do if I believe I can.  
I thank you, Kathy Bennett, for not only changing my mind but showing me a new way of life. 
I will read your book again and enjoy every page turning chase it gives me. I assure you that you book was so worth every minute I put in it.
Kathy here – Needless to say I wrote back to Miss H and we’ve corresponded a few times. I found that when I wrote back to Miss H I’d put on my  ‘police officer’ hat and tried to offer advice, encouragement and compassion.  And you know what?  I was glad to wear that hat again.
Miss H feels I’ve changed her life with my book. Little does she know how much she’s changed mine.
Until next time, 
KMA367

TRAFFIC TICKETS – SNARL OR SNIFF? A COP’S VIEW

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I’m sure many of you are wondering what in the heck I’m talking about – snarl or sniff…and traffic tickets.  I promise, after a little explanation, I’ll get to the meat of what I mean.  Please be patient and continue reading.


Last week, my sister and I had to move our mother into an assisted living facility.  THAT experience is a blog topic for another day.  However, in making that move, we had to decide what to do with our mother’s dog, Cody.  Several years ago, Mom rescued Cody from the local county animal shelter.  Since Mom is an independent woman, for the most part, it was just her and Cody for most days.


In the early days, Mom was able to walk Cody herself.  But as she became more frail she felt she couldn’t handle her dog.  The problem was that Cody wasn’t socialized to other dogs or animals.  At Mom’s assisted living location residents are allowed to live with their dogs – but only if they can be good citizens.  This was a cause for concern.  Mom had told us that when she used to walk Cody, other dog owners would cross the street because Cody would snarl and bark and lunge on his leash in an attempt to get to the other dogs.  Obviously, this is not the behavior of a ‘model citizen’.   So something had to be done.


We hired a dog trainer to teach us to socialize Cody to other animals – particularly dogs.  Making a long story shorter…what Heather, (the dog trainer) told us was that Cody just didn’t know what to do when he came across another dog.  He didn’t know how to behave appropriately.

Heather further explained that dogs, when they meet, introduce themselves by sniffing the hind-quarters of the other dog.  If a dog meets another dog who doesn’t know what to do, often the uneducated dog ‘crowds’ the dog he’s trying to meet.  This makes the other dog uneasy, and snarling barking may ensue or even a bite or a fight.  Now…how does all of this relate to a traffic ticket?

When a police officer pulls you over for the purpose of issuing a citation, just like our dogs above, the officer wants to meet you.  When the officer approaches your car, do you snarl and bark loudly?

“Why in the he** are you stopping ME?”

“Didn’t you see that other guy going faster than I was?”
“The light was yellow as*-hole!”
“You’re pulling me over because…(insert whatever phrase comes to mind)”

Or, do you sniff to find out more about the officer who’s coming to your car.

“Yes, officer, I have my driver’s license right here.  I need to reach into my glove box to get my proof of insurance.  Is that okay?”
“I’m sorry officer.  I didn’t realize I was going so fast.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.  I thought the light was yellow.”
“I’m glad you’re telling me about my burnt out headlight – otherwise I wouldn’t have known.”

While there is no guarantee that by ‘sniffing’ the officer first you’re not going to get a citation, I CAN predict if you snarl at the officer there is a much larger chance you’ll be giving your autograph to the officer on a four-copy form – a form requiring you pay an expensive fine.

Until next time,

KMA367

Your Three Words to Describe America

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The television show Good Morning America has a feature they do on the weekends called ‘Your Three Words’.  In that segment, viewers are allowed to convey a message using only three words.

Seeing that today is the ‘birthday’ of our country I thought it would be nice to hear from you what three words you’d use to describe the United States of America OR the 4th of July.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Now…what are your three words?

Until next time,

KMA367

Dog Bless You

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The 4th of July is coming next week and I want to be sure a lot of people see my blog this week so they can respond to my call for action.  My blog today deals with some of our military veterans.

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you the horrors of war take a toll on our men and women who proudly serve our country in battle.  Some of our brave heros are plagued with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) once they’ve left the battleground.

Los Angeles-based filmmaker and philanthropist Charlie Annenberg Weingarten founded DogBlessYou.org, an internet campaign aimed at helping veterans get service dogs who help soldiers deal with their affliction. The specially-trained service dog listens and looks for any signs of distress and helps their owner cope with their particular symptoms of the condition.

What Weingarten has done is create a Facebook page called Dog Bless You.  For every 5,000 ‘likes’ on the Facebook page, a service dog will be donated to a veteran in need.

Weingarten says he believes the campaign will help spread patriotism and give injured veterans a much-needed companion.

“It’s interesting because the way we deal with PTSD is strictly on a medical basis. But really what’s missing is love and belonging,” Weingarten said.

So, here’s my call for action:

I want you to go to the Dog Bless You Facebook page and ‘like’ the page.  Let’s see if we can get our veterans a couple of new dogs in honor of their service to our country and in honor of our upcoming 4th of July holiday.  It’s a win-win!  Here’s the link:

https://www.facebook.com/exploredogs?sk=info

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Until next time,

KMA367

WHY COPS ARE PARTIAL TO, “NO COMMENT”

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I’ve been a Los Angeles Police Officer for more than twenty years.  I’d wanted to be, not just any cop, but an LAPD officer from the time I was twelve.  Wearing the badge and uniform of the LAPD was a dream – and one, quite frankly, I wasn’t sure I’d achieve.  I’m not the biggest, strongest, or even a remotely athletic female.  But what I do possess is a strong determination.  A trait my husband likes to call my stubborn streak.  That resilience served me well in my Academy training where my physical endurance was put to the test daily.

Another quality I’m blessed with, is a strong sense of opinion.  I’ve got views on almost everything; and depending on how well I know you, you might hear some of them.  But one thing I hadn’t considered in becoming an officer, nor was I prepared for in starting my career, was the way I’d have to censor my opinions.

Oh, I’d expected that, when I was in uniform, I’d have to put aside my personal beliefs when dealing with the public.  But what about when I’m off-duty?  It seems reasonable I should be able to talk to friends, neighbors and say whatever the heck I’d like, right?  Hold that thought for a minute.

I bet many of you belong to social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook or some other place where people get online and ‘chat’.   In addition to posting your progress in building farms, slaying other Mafias, or conquering new frontiers, many of you will post comments about causes you support or groups you belong to, or just an opinion about the state of the world.   And most of you don’t give it another thought.

I think we’ve all seen unfortunate examples of someone posting a flaming comment via e-mail that was accidently sent to a whole bunch of people rather than the intended receiver.  I think most writers are savvy enough not to trash talk agents, editors and other writers in a public forum.  But if you DID choose to make an opinionated comment, what would be the worst that could happen?  You’d never get published by that house, or sign a contract with your dream agent?

But as a police officer, let’s say that I made a strong statement on a social networking site about the Pittsburg Steelers – a recent hot topic around the country.  Then, let’s say, in the scope of my duties as an LAPD officer, I go to work the next day and get involved in a situation where I wind up arresting a Pittsburg Steeler.  Do you think my comments on the social networking site won’t be brought to the public for their scrutiny?   Those comments will be made public, likely via the media who will put their own ‘spin’ on my post in order to garner viewers.   Do you see how an ‘innocent’ comment online, for the world to see, could become a strong piece of evidence either for or against me?   Do you think my online comments wouldn’t become part of any subsequent investigation?  Think about those questions if the situation were more serious than a simple arrest.

For several years, experts have been warning ‘young people’ to be careful what they publish online because they never know when a future employer will be looking online for insight into a future employee – and it’s good advice.

Recently, police officers have been warned by their unions to be careful about their online postings because you never know how those comments, photos, or opinions may be perceived at a later date…and for a cop, the results of a careless word could be a career and financial disaster.

Right now, I have to think very carefully when I’m online about what I say and how I say it.  When I retire, I’ll be able to be more free with my opinions.  But until that time, when it comes to the Pittsburg Steelers, or any other political, social, or media-worthy issues, I’ve got one thing to say…No Comment!

Kathy Asks: What is a Cop?

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I ask this question because, often, people are so surprised at my chosen profession. I can tell because they will usually say something like, “I never would have guessed you’re a cop. You don’t look like a cop.” Occasionally, I’ll get, “You don’t act like a cop.”

One time, when I worked at the Police Academy, I was walking to my office and passing by a fountain in the courtyard. A woman came up to me with her adult son in tow. He may have known what was coming, because he looked like he wished the ground would open up and swallow him. She hesitated and asked if she could talk to me. “Sure,” I said, “I don’t bite.” The woman said she was visiting from out of state and just wanted me to know how refreshing it was to see a feminine police officer that wore nail polish and lipstick. She made some comment about most female officers looking like big bruisers from a football team. She further added she couldn’t imagine me being out on the street arresting ‘big guys’. Frankly, it was a big boost to my self-esteem for the day – everyone likes to think they look nice, but so often, no one tells us when we do. On the other hand, she’d also sort of insulted me. I’ve arrested men, women, and children of all sizes.

Let me give you another reason why I’m asking you the question, What is a Cop? Several years ago, I’d entered one of my manuscripts in a contest and got negative comment from one of the judges because they didn’t think my female officer was drinking a ‘cop-like’ drink. I had my detective drinking (off-duty) a White Russian. The contest judge felt the White Russian was too froo-froo, and a cop would drink Scotch. I’m not sure if I got marked down for that, but as someone who has an occasional White Russian, I can tell you, cops do drink them.

So for years, comments similar to these have made me wonder what the general public thinks a cop is. Do you see us ticket-writing machines? Do you see us as someone to fear? Do you see us as never around when you need one – or always around when you want to talk on your cellphone while driving? Do you see us as problem-solvers? Do you see us as rescuers? Do you see us as heroes?

I want to know. What does a cop look like? How do cops act? I’d also like to know how you formed your opinion.

Until next time,

KMA367