tyr-an-ny (tir'e-ne)n. cruel and unjust use of power

Based on the fact that I have been a resident of Peachtree City for 20 of the 23 years I've been alive, I believe I am qualified to give an accurate portrayal of the local police department.

I have seen, heard, and experienced countless situations involving unfair and unnecessary treatment of people in this town. Why are some so insulted by Peachtree City's association with power-tripping police? Their unpopularity can't be blamed on fabrications of vengeful adolescents conspiring to over-throw City Hall and turn it into a skate park. The root of the law's reputation is undeniable truth.

The implications that local police target teenagers as if they were defenseless prey are completely justified. Considering their job description, it is not necessarily a weakness for the cops to be obsessively intent on approaching vandals, thieves, drug dealers, and minors in possession.

However, there is a considerable problem with drugs in this town, and police focus on area high schools because of the students who are willing to act as informants. At one time, there was even a confidential hotline for students to call with information on their classmates in exchange for cash, but I'm not sure if this service still exists.

Another reason minors are confronted more frequently (and successfully) is because they are careless and easy to distinguish from the rest of the population. In addition, while teenagers are definitely not the only drug-infested age group, they are the safest to accuse; they lack knowledge, awareness, and influence on political issues within the community. Consequently, they are not a threat to an officer's integrity, leaving them wide open to the abusive, manipulative behavior of the police.

Many citizens are oblivious to the police department's pretentious, overbearing members, and cannot comprehend any circumstance that could possibly lead to such criticism. There are various and simple explanations for this selective crowd's naiveté.

For example, the city's rapid growth contributes largely to the fact that there are not a lot of people who have lived here long enough to have a realistic impression of the local cops. It takes more than a few encounters to gain a perspective broad enough to make an accurate judgment. Narrow-minded, presumptuous statements based on limited experiences are not worth an ounce of credibility.

Of course, those who have lived here for more than 15 years, are over the age of 40, and who also support city officials and management are not going to have problems with the authorities. It is completely absurd to imagine a middle-aged socialite, her husband, or any of their golfing pals being arrested should they not have their insurance card on hand if they happen to get pulled over.

Typical to this characterization are a publisher of a local newspaper and a former auxiliary policeman they quickly dismissed a concerned parent's account describing domineering, irrational cops as an expression of unappreciative whining. These loyal declarations of support for the Peachtree City police are disgusting displays of insolent, biased egotism, and are obviously spurned from haughty ignorance. For the sake of humanity, step down from your pedestals and get a grip on something other than a nine-iron.

I would like to emphasize that I am not sympathetic to any of age who is caught in a premeditated, intentional, and illegal act, particularly those involving drugs and or/alcohol. However, the tactics used to "uphold the law" have produced too many negative effects on undeserving individuals to justify any positive results the police may accomplish.

The bottom line is this: Peachtree City police are handcuff-happy control freaks. By taking extreme action simply because they can, the cops have created a strong foundation for their motives to be questioned.

The purpose of the law is to prevent any person or institution from interfering with the freedom to exercise our rights as Americans. Yet, the police have no remorse for using their authority to humiliate, degrade, and manipulate the people they are supposed to defend. There is no cause to arrest someone who has not deliberately and maliciously broken the law, or who does not pose any immediate threat to the public. The police should not provoke a sense of cautious insecurity in honest, law abiding citizens, but they do. Individuals who fail to measure up to a cop's standard of "decency" are required to prove themselves beneficial to society, or they get to go to jail.

No amount of indignation at the complaints made against the police will ever sufficient to discredit this issue. References made to situations in Atlanta or anywhere else will never justify the ludicrous actions of the police here. This is about people who live in Peachtree City, who are paying taxes in Peachtree City, who are expressing concern in Peachtree City, who are disrespected in Peachtree City, and who are being blown off in Peachtree City.

This is a statement of truth: there are people capable of making an impact who are aware of this, and not one of them is willing to do anything about it. Could they possibly be afraid of endangering the flow of hideously inflated amounts of money pouring into City Hall from all those citations?

Nearly my entire life has taken place here; my family, friends, and memories are all of this town. Everything I have in Peactree City has been devalued by the smothering presence of hyperactive [police]. What does this tell you about "Peachtree City's Finest?"

Wake up, people! Open your eyes! Embrace reality! Take a look at the cocky corruption surrounding you! How can you possibly like what you see? May the force leave you alone....