Do Police Want Help?

I consider myself a responsible citizen. When I hear a plea from our law enforcement agencies to the general public, I feel it is necessary to make the extra effort to help. In the aftermath of the riots and looting, we were asked to help by supplying our police departments with any information that might help in the recovery of stolen merchandise.

I was having lunch with my boyfriend in Chatsworth. A man came in and started talking to the waiter. He looked around, as if to check out if anyone were listening. Then he ushered the waiter outside. It struck me as odd, so I watched them.

The man walked over to his older beige and brown Ford van and opened the sliding door. The waiter checked out the contents of the boxes.

They re-entered the restaurant and I heard the waiter say “You said $200, right?” He handed the man something. The man went out to the van and carried in one of the large boxes.

I went to see if there was a phone in the ladies room. There was not. My boyfriend became upset with me, telling me not to get involved. He said no one will care and certainly no one will thank me, that I would get myself hurt for nothing.

I didn’t think it was nothing. I felt that I had witnessed what was very likely an illegal transaction and that it was my duty to do as asked by our police. To do nothing would make me feel as guilty as the waiter who purchased the questionable merchandise.

I attempted to get the license number of the van and went to a pay phone. I had no money but was glad to see it was an official Pacific Bell phone, so I could call the operator.

I asked the operator to connect me to the Devonshire Division police. She asked me if it were a life and death emergency. I told her it was not life and death, but . . . and she had switched me to information. I explained to the information operator that I was trying to get in touch with the police to inform them of a possible illegal transaction. He told me he could not connect me, it had to be done through the operator.

By now the van is out of sight.

I called the operator again and asked for a supervisor, saying I was trying to inform the police of a possible illegal transaction as requested by the police on the local news, and asked if she could connect me to the Devonshire police station. She said she could connect me to Van Nuys.

As usual, I got a recording to remain on the line, as all emergency numbers were busy. I waited approximately 15 minutes before a dispatcher came on.

She wanted to know what I wanted her to do. I was amazed at the response, so I told her I was sorry for bothering her, but I was trying to do what I thought the police wanted me to do. Only then did she ask me for information about the van and the driver. It was obvious I was a nuisance to her.

As we walked away from the phone booth, my boyfriend said: “I tried to tell you. They don’t care, why should you?” He asked if the dispatcher even asked my name or if I could be contacted again. She hadn’t. So I guess he was right.

They say they need our help, even complain that we don’t do our part to help. But . . . they don’t want us to help. So, whom are they trying to impress with these “pleas for help”? Is this supposed to make us believe they are trying to do what they say they are?

CAROL GREENSTONE, Chatsworth