At the Police Station

Ok, so, this has been the most entertaining and frustrating events since my return back home. I have been to two police stations. No, I was not arrested. One time I was the victim of a very unruly taxi driver (at the end of the ordeal, he was on his knees begging for forgiveness. The second time, I was a witness in case where a student was taken out of school by her father without the consent of her mother. I guess the air is clear now. I did not want you to think your angel had gotten off track.

I will write as though I am writing about one incident and one police station because, truth be told, they worked in the same exact way. I guess we have a central disorganization training unit in the city. Here is how it went, and usually goes, I am certain.

I walked into the station; found 2-3 un-uniformed officers behind a desk. If I did not take the initiative to ask where I should start, I would have been standing there for 10 minutes without anyone noticing because they were busy listening to another officer questioning a detainee behind the desk. After I spoke, I immediately became the most import object in the room. Again, if you’re not firm and outspoken, their approach might send you running out the station. You may seriously think you will be detained as well for just showing up. I almost did! After they learned the reason why I was there, one took down my particulars as the rest turn back to listen to the questioning. I have to say the person who was taking down my details only had 50% of her attention to me, for she would pose and comment every after so many seconds.

After the long process of taking my name, occupation, number, and address down, I was told to wait. At this point, I became an observer. This is what I saw:

When the detainees come in, the first thing they do is take off their shoes and belts, and sit down or on benches if they are available. Their particular are taken, while an officer is interrupting to narrate their offenses. At unexpected moments, the officer taking down the details will stop several times to add to/comment on the questions/answers. I am 100% sure this was not unique to these two days.

When the particular are finally recorded, the “real” questioning/commenting begins. When I say real, I mean, free style. Any officer comes in, learns some of the details and lashes his anger. Question normally goes like this:
Officer: So you did such and such?
Detainee: No; and the detainee normally wants to say more
O: So, you think other people are telling lies…
D: …….
O: Who do you think you’re? You think you’re a big man/woman, but you’re not
D: ……
O: We can lock you up forever
D: …..
Officer 2: Now look at this one; you think you’re smart; you’re stupid. We’re going to lock you up. Now what are you looking at? Look at him/her. You look…
O1-infinite: (All laugh, and laugh some more)
O1, 4, 5, 8: (All at the same time): continue same line of questioning.

That goes on until something interesting comes up. They continue to jump back and forth from new to interesting, until the Lord hears my prayer. In between their unconventional questioning techniques, they remember that I am important to the case. Unexpectedly, they ask me a question. At first, I think they’re calling to an officer near me, for I could think they would take me to a private room to give my statement. But no, they want me to say everything in front of all the officers, detainees, cleaner, wanderers, etc. At this point, I am thinking the officers have said enough and they will just let me speak. But their interruptions (to detainees, each other) of “did you hear that?, oh no! And then you sit here and lie”, laughter and lots of it; some of it real, some sarcastic.

While the statement is being taken, the same officers are trying to solve/reconcile different cases at different stages. Here is how it goes…
O: So, then he said what:
Victim/witness: So then he said….
O (about another case): So madam, did you forgive him? Where have you reached?
Madam: You know this man….
Man: …..
Os (several now – taking such great interest in the madam/man’s case):…

That goes on for a while before the officer realizes my eyes have never left the piece of paper on which she was writing; 1, because I want to be done and go home; and 2, because the paper is full and I am wondering what she has to go through to get some more paper. I was afraid she would send me to buy some more on my dime since that is what they do with forms. If you need any kind of form, you are told where the copier is (usually not attached to the police station), so you better pray that the reason you’re there is not because someone has snatched your purse/wallet from you - you will have to pay for your copying. Luckily, there was some more paper nearby. After finding the paper, another officer came to her accusing her of taking his pen. So they talked about the whereabouts of a missing pen for a minute or two. Again luckily, another pen was found under the several books laying on table….and we finally got back to my statement.

By the time I am done giving my statement, the officer taking the statement has managed to try to solve 2-4 cases; I have listened to a wife vowing never to share a bed with her husband and the husband voicing his content (don’t know what the case was about); I have seen the police play around with a weapon used in a gruesome attack; the people on who I have opened a case have come to negotiate with me several times; I have seen police “interrogate” a teen into obeying her mother; I have seen the pale faces of two truck driver who where hired to transport a bus engine, only to find out that the engine was stolen and the guys who stole it had jumped off the truck after they saw the police after them; and so much more.

All in all, things finally get done…today, tomorrow, some time. I was lucky to be done in a few hours.