We like the Auburn Police Department. On average, it is forthcoming with whatever information we request, and it is willing to answer the majority of our questions. It seems to be genuinely interested in helping us do our jobs.
APD handled the shooting at University Heights on June 9 of last year with professionalism and dignity. Police Chief Tommy Dawson impressed us with his ability to calmly respond to the heinous act with restraint and the wisdom of a man who truly appreciated the gravity of the situation.
He even gave us one of our favorite quotes from the past year.
Dawson said, "We need to learn the value of human life again," which in one simple statement summed up the tragedy facing the Auburn Family, and perhaps, on a much larger scale, the all too frequent occurrences of senseless violence in the United States.
But now we need to take a moment and address what we see as a flaw in the way APD serves and protects the city.
The section of Magnolia Street between College Street and Donahue Drive has turned into a trap where drivers, longboarders and anyone on a form of wheeled transport is caught in the danger zone of potential traffic and moving violations. Unfortunately, the litany of violations you could receive while going down this stretch of Magnolia Street is also enforced by a group of bicycle and three-wheeled Segway-riding police officers.
We know these officers are just doing their job, and they probably wouldn't choose to work this particular beat if it was up to them. Yet, we can't help but think this small stretch of Magnolia has become a ticket factory.
In an April 24 article written by Josiah Ryan of CampusReform.org, former APD Lt. Ryan Coffey is quoted as calling University students "idiots." He also alleged APD had an unethical and illegal quota system after his termination.
Coffey has been quiet since the CampusReform.org article came out in April, and APD is still unwilling to comment on the allegations or the validity of the recording. So we are left with a lot of burning questions and no way to put out the fire.
However, considering Coffey's allegations and the increased presence of police officers on Magnolia, it doesn't seem like a coincidence.
What we want to know is why?
The stretch of Magnolia Street, which runs in front of Lowder, The Shelby Center and Sky Bar, certainly sees a large amount of pedestrian traffic, and maybe APD feels an extra strong need to protect pedestrians from drivers. That makes perfect sense after the sun goes down and the alcohol comes out.
We have no problem with an increased police presence at night when the bars are hopping and drunken people with poor decision making skills are trying to drive. Go get 'em APD; ride your Segways and bicycles with extreme prejudice.
During the day when most of us are trying to get to class or to work doesn't seem right. Using these officers to enforce unnecessary traffic violations seems excessive when a couple of officers on foot could perform the same tasks.
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