Should I say something? Officer bothering me at work

[Slowing-Dee]

My court date to contest one of my tickets is less than three weeks away and last week the officer who ticketed me started bothering me at work. (I work at a popular coffee shop.)

First it happened when I came in just to get a coffee on my day off. I didn't see him come in and while I was waiting for my coffee, he came up behind me and grabbed my purse strap. I was startled and thought someone was trying to take my purse so I ripped it away from him.

Later that evening I got called in to work to cover breaks. He showed up again off-duty and came to my till. Then my manager came to my till and he told her that I was "trying really hard to be nice to him." (The manager knows who he is and knows that I'm taking him to court.) She told him that I was doing a good job.

Then the next day he came back with his wife and told me that "we need to stop running into eachother like this." (I should have said something then.) He then stayed for nearly two hours and sat facing me and he kept starring at me while I was working. (I can't work when being starred at.)

Then the next day he came in again with some more off-duty traffic officers. I was annoyed so I busied myself rinsing out the coffee pots and coffee baskets so that the manager could serve him. They started talking really loudly about the time he let the manager's sister off on a huge speeding ticket and it spiraled downward from there.

I told my dad about all of this and he told me that he's trying to intimidate me to get me to plead guilty and call off the trial, which I won't do. It's getting to the point that I don't want to go to work anymore because I don't want to be bothered by him. He never used to frequent the place this much, and never used to come in when off-duty. I'm starting to feel like he's harassing me and I want to tell someone, but I don't know if I should out of fear of retaliation. They all know who I am and know that I'm an easy target for tickets.

[jakflak]

Go to the department and talk to the officer's supervisor.

[10-97UPD]

Sounds like he is playing childish game.. not too professional on his part. Then again maybe he just likes the coffee. . I wasnt there for the situation but based on your story Id ignore it. If he is really that bent over the ticket to come in off duty and bring in his wife then the fact that you are fighting the ticket is under his skin more than he is yours. Ive had plenty of people fight tickets...I usually forget about it by the time im half done reading the trial notification and usually have to rummage through paperwork to find my notes to remember who the person was. You might be over thinking it. I over think things on a daily basis. My advice is not to sweat it at this point. Use this opportunity to thicken your skin. It could be a coincidence. If things get worse(more direct)then Id make a phone call.

[VSPClem]

You know, just playing devils advocate on this one....

1. Maybe he was facing you because its allows him to scan then largest portion of the store, and it just seemed like he was staring at you.

2. Maybe he used to go in there about as often as he does now, you just never really noticed him because you had not gotten a ticket before from him.

3. Maybe all the things he said you your manager are his way of trying to get by the akwardness of having written someone who is now providing him service...its always weird when you run into someone you write serving you food or drink.....

4. Why be annoyed at him coming in w/ other police? Are they customers and do you own this store?

5. YOU are not taking him to court, the ticket HE wrote you is actaully taking you to court...you are just choosing to go. He probably has other cases that day, so you going or not going and pleading guilty or not guilty, probably wont have much effect on how he gets through his day.

More or less, there is a strong chance its a coincidence. Don't ignore it, and be on the look out for serious things....like he starts shwoing up around the house or following you around town....but as far as things being strictly coffee house related right now, I wouldnt worry on it.

[Slowing-Dee]

You know, just playing devils advocate on this one....

1. Maybe he was facing you because its allows him to scan then largest portion of the store, and it just seemed like he was staring at you.

Maybe...

2. Maybe he used to go in there about as often as he does now, you just never really noticed him because you had not gotten a ticket before from him.

He has come in before, but not this frequently. Trust me, I am very good at recognizing off-duty police officers and he has given me a ticket before.

3. Maybe all the things he said you your manager are his way of trying to get by the akwardness of having written someone who is now providing him service...its always weird when you run into someone you write serving you food or drink.....

I've served several officers who have written me up before and it was never awkward. I even served him less than a week after he gave me this ticket (I got it last year. Our court system is pretty slow.) and it wasn't awkward. He knew who I was when he pulled me over because he called me by the name that's on my name tag at work, not the name that's on my driver's licence.

4. Why be annoyed at him coming in w/ other police? Are they customers and do you own this store?

If it was an isolated incident, it would be no problem. But when it's when he repeatedly comes in an bothers me and then brings traffic officers in and bothers me again, then I get suspicious of an attempt to intimidate me.

5. YOU are not taking him to court, the ticket HE wrote you is actaully taking you to court...you are just choosing to go. He probably has other cases that day, so you going or not going and pleading guilty or not guilty, probably wont have much effect on how he gets through his day.

Not likely. Here you only have to go to court if the person pleads not guilty and has a trial. We're given tickets, not citations.

[VSPClem]

Maybe...

If it was an isolated incident, it would be no problem. But when it's when he repeatedly comes in an bothers me and then brings traffic officers in and bothers me again, then I get suspicious of an attempt to intimidate me.
.

Ok....so he enters your place of work to buy coffee (it is a coffee shop after all) and tells your boss you are doing a fine job, and brings in other customers from his job to buy coffee....how is he "bothering" you?

Im not trying to sound as if I dont believe what you are saying, its just that based on what you are saying happens; I really can't see anything that jumps out at me as a real problem.

[CGIS1]

I am not saying your making anything up, but I thought I remember reading awhile back about something of a similar story that you had posted about someone creeping you out at work. I could be wrong but ussally have a good memory for remember little timbets of information.

[Sabre]

I can't possibly believe that this is the whole story. I just can't fathom that a cop would get this obsessed with somebody fighting a traffic ticket. Even then, it's hard for me to imagine that some cop would for some reason decide that he's going to constantly buy coffee at the shop where the person who is fighting the ticket works. What's the point of that???

Either of these seem much more plausible:

1. You're not telling the whole story

or

2. His sudden interest in you, and showing up around you all the time, doesn't have anything to do with the ticket.

[just joe]

Maybe you have really good coffee or maybe he thinks you're hot. I really don't think it has anything to do with the ticket because we really don't care--if you want to pay it, pay it. If you want to go to court, go to court--it doesn't matter to us.

[CGIS1]

Maybe you have really good coffee or maybe he thinks you're hot. I really don't think it has anything to do with the ticket because we really don't care--if you want to pay it, pay it. If you want to go to court, go to court--it doesn't matter to us.

and some young officers even like going to court... ussally around 3-4 hours guarenteed overtime.

[Jeff51086]

They all know who I am and know that I'm an easy target for tickets.

Sorry, not an LEO, but I just thought that was pretty funny. Just a suggestion, but maybe if you dont want to be harrassed anymore, you should try not being such an easy target. I think I remember you posting in another thread that you've gotten 17 or 18 tickets?

[exComptonCop]

I am not saying your making anything up, but I thought I remember reading awhile back about something of a similar story that you had posted about someone creeping you out at work.

I don't recall that one, but I certainly remember the "dog incident." Where the OP said a cop pulled her over just to play with her dog Either the OP is some kind of a magnet, or has an extremely healthy imagination

[ofc129]

Yes, perhaps they're getting tired of pulling you over...you're actually the one bothering THEM at work LOL.

I get the same look on my face when I run into one of my regular crackheads trespassing on private property yet again after arresting them umpteen times for the same thing.

[Fuzz]

Not likely. Here you only have to go to court if the person pleads not guilty and has a trial. We're given tickets, not citations.

Could you please explain the difference between a "ticket" and a "citation". Pretty much mean the same thing. Just because you plead not guilty and the officer comes to court to testify does NOT mean you are taking him to court. HE stopped you. He issued you a ticket for a violation requiring YOU to go to court. You are the defendant in a trial.....you are not the plaintiff accusing him.

[Slowing-Dee]

Sorry, not an LEO, but I just thought that was pretty funny. Just a suggestion, but maybe if you dont want to be harrassed anymore, you should try not being such an easy target. I think I remember you posting in another thread that you've gotten 17 or 18 tickets?

11 tickets and you shouldn't even be replying in this thread.

He didn't say I was doing a good job. He said that I was "trying really hard to be nice to [him]." There's a difference.

He's not young. He has 32 years of service in already and he's not getting overtime to go to court because here they just change your shift to accomodate your court schedule.