"To Serve and Protect" is the motto on the side of each police car in Peachtree City. Have they lost sight of their job?

We are fortunate to have a low rate of "high" level crimes such as murder, robbery and rape, but like most cities, we do have a "low" level crime rate, which many times involves teenagers charged with breaking curfew, drinking and driving violations.

Our son was recently in court to pay a speeding ticket. He drove to court that day in the family car and parked it in the library parking area. In court, the judge fined him $180 and suspended his license for six months. He left the courtroom and went to move the car to another area in the parking lot and was immediately arrested by a police officer who followed him out of court.

This police officer cuffed him behind his back and dragged him back into court, where he sat for three hours. The cuffs were so tight he had red rings around his wrists.

Could this police officer have taken a few minutes of his precious time to talk to my son, advise him he just lost his license and tell him he could not move the car? Could he have offered to drive him home or have him call his parents?

We are not liberal parents who allow our children do whatever they want. We understand why our son lost his license and agree there must be consequences, but isn't this excessive?

A friend of my son's has been living with us for a couple of years. Yes, he has been in trouble with the police and the police know him very well. They apparently like to talk to him because they have stopped him on the golf paths using our golf cart with our permission to question him. When the police are summoned to a house because neighbors have complained about noise, the first question they ask those at the house if this young man is with them. He was not wanted for anything, so why do the police intentionally go looking for him?

Another situation of a 16-year-old honor student who was out at 12:30 a.m. with three other friends. The family recently moved to Peachtree City from out of state and they assumed the curfew was 1 a.m. The boy was stopped, brought to the Peachtree City jail and eventually through the court system. He was fined, placed on probation and not allowed to see the other three friends. Since he was never in trouble before, why couldn't the police officer taken the boy's home and have a talk with the parents?

I grew up in New York where there are local police precincts. Teenagers were encouraged to stop by to play basketball, pool or other activities that were available. The police were active in the community and made a good effort to help teenagers. They did not always cuff them, arrest them and throw them in jail. They showed an interest in the kids and took time from their busy schedule to talk with them.

I do not see this with the Peachtree City Police. It seems a teenager in Peachtree City that runs into a problem is most times arrested and could be targeted for future arrests.

As in any line of work the best and most effective employees go above and beyond. It would be nice if the Peachtree City police would go above and beyond in doing their job with compassion. Maybe we need to pay the police more in order to attract the best qualified candidates to protect and serve us. We don't know what the answer is, but something is definitely amiss.