I am writing in response to a letter from Peachtree City resident Bill Ezpelta about the abuse of teens in Peachtree City and their rights guaranteed by the U.S. Consitution (Miranda, etc.).

I too have been a long-time resident in this county (20 years) and, having raised two children in this county, think I have a fairly accurate overall view of this situation.

Having grown up myself in a strict Army family where my father was a criminal investigator in the Army for 30 years, I have always had the utmost respect for the law officers and have always seen their "side" first in a confrontation. I was raised to believe all "cops" are good "cops" and, of course now we know this is not always the case. However, we weren't allowed growing up to say "cop"; it was always "police officer" and the thought of ever saying the word "pig" would never ever have been tolerated by my father or myself raising my own two children.

I always felf safe here and moved here from Atlanta for that very reason. Fayette had a good reputation for crime and the lack thereof. However and now I must say however (I love [Sheriff] Randall Johnson; I think he's done a great job for along time. I believe we have for the most part great law enforcement officers in Fayette County and Fayetteville) but over the 20 years I have lived here, we have gotten away from the original concept of enforcement I grew up with.

I think if I ever needed a policeman in a hurry, I know without a doubt I'd get one immediately, but I worry about my children as they are still teens. I know they would be "suspect" first, no matter why they called for help or if they were in need of assistance.

One of my children was recently stopped in Peachtree City while he was with his dad and pulled over because his window was tinted too dark. He wasn't speeding; no cause to be stopped running errands with his dad other than when the policeman got to the car he immediately pulled out a strip and put it on the windshield and told him it was one shade too dark and gave him a $72 ticket.

He was home from college for the week and he said later to me, "Well, I guess it was one shade too dark but we bought the car with that tinting and it never occurred to me to pay to lighten it. So I guess that's what I get for driving through Peachtree City."

I wished that officer could have warned my son or talked to him for a moment first and explained "why" they want to be able to see in the vehicle, obviously, but it really occurred to me with all the things going on the Peachtree City and Fayetteville, why would you be writing tickets for that?

The other night on a local TV news program they said Peachtree City police had written more tickets in 1998 than ever before, and they gave the amount. It didn't surprise me in the least. I think that was nothing to be proud of, and, yes, I'm glad to feel like I live in a safe county...BUT...that should have been a red flag to the comunnity that so many of these tickets are given as a form of harrassment and most seem to be going to teens and women.

I don't really know what's up with that, but it really does appear that way.

I also have witnessed kids my children knew and their stories of "knee jerk" reactions by the police and know of many instances of "rights" that were never made available. Fayette county kids are paranoid and don't want to have to call a policeman for anything and that's a shame.

Officer Bob at the Fayette County High School, before he left, did more good trying to development a relationship with kids first. I guarantee they would have called him if they needed help.

But I think we've lost our way, and it is hard now to raise kids to respect the law when they get the treatment our kids are getting now in this county.

I wish a team of parents could be involved and report to our county officials the abuses of power when they occur, and it's not to let "these spoiled brats" get away with anything. It's to keep the "balance" that needs to be there so we can be proud of our kids and our law enforcement officers.

I wish sometimes really "Can't we just all get along?"