Fascinating undercover new expose of what it takes to get a complaint form from police departments in south Florida. (Answer: a willingness to be intimidated, covertly threatened, and to track down forms that aren’t actually kept in stock.)
Take, for example, this wonderful exchange, on hidden camera, from the Sea Ranch police station.
cop: We don’t give you — we don’t give you a form. Where do you live?
tester: I don’t want to say.
officer: You don’t want to say?
tester: Where are you going?
officer: You want to play hardball? We’ll play hardball. I want ID.
tester: For what?
officer: I’m asking you for ID right now, that’s why. Here, hand it to me. Hand it to me.
tester: Are you kidding me? Here.
officer: I said, hand me your ID. What are you doing here? This is —
tester: I came to ask you how to file a complaint.
officer: This is very suspicious.
tester: Asking how to file a complaint is suspicious?
officer: Why don’t you shut up?
Yikes.
(via BoingBoing)