Xahm Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Last night, there was a long and rambling post on our town's unofficial Facebook page. A woman's daughter had been in a wreck, the other driver was at fault and had a positive blood test for alcohol, and the woman was up in arms and calling out the responding police officer by name because, she said, he had allowed the drunk driver to go free because the driver was an illegal immigrant and (insert crazy sounding political rant here). Her actual story was harder to follow as she opened with the political rant, which included stuff about murder, and English is not her native language. There were thirty or more comments, some taking her side in that rant, others trying to clarify sequence of events, while still others argued about whether she was a Russian troll. It was shaping up for some fine weekend popcorn munching entertainment. Then, my husband, who is a police officer but did not identify himself as such, politely explained that since the man had a blood test, he clearly had been arrested, but in an accident that bad, the jail doesn't take injured suspects but instead they go to the hospital. He explained further, including the fact that street officers have no way of ascertaining a person's immigration status unless they have been reported as previously deported. The woman liked his comment and then took her post down. I'm not sure, but someone's mind may have been changed by being given accurate information on a social media post. Is that a unicorn? A Fourth of July miracle? Have you ever seen the like? 19 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 I am pretty sure you just saw a unicorn ? I am in awe. Your DH did good. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 I think it was good he totally ignored the political aspects and the difficulty understanding her ideas and calmly explained facts. He didn't mention the officer at all (though he knew him), so he didn't sound defensive. I know he practices defusing tense situations all the time going on calls, but his ability to do it online impressed me! He hates his job, but I see he's good at it. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Wow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Maybe she posted in the initial shock after the accident and fear is often expressed in anger BUT at least the explanation seemed to have clarified things for her or prompted her her to reconsider. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Good for him for sharing the process. I'm sure there were others who learned something, as well. Does his department have them learn "verbal judo" techniques? I read that book once found it fascinating. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 3 hours ago, klmama said: Good for him for sharing the process. I'm sure there were others who learned something, as well. Does his department have them learn "verbal judo" techniques? I read that book once found it fascinating. One of his frustrations with his job is that the training is not terribly deep. They probably watched a powerpoint that gave some tips and techniques, but "have them learn" might be a higher standard than what actually happened. I'd have to ask him about that topic specifically. Like many jobs, those who care about a certain area get plenty of chances to practice and hone the craft, however they are trained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 You saw how talented your husband is at community relations! Good for him, and tell him thanks for his service. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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