Late-Night Harassment By The Signal Mountain Police - And Response (18)

  • Tuesday, May 24, 2016

I am writing about the misconduct of the Signal Mountain Police Department. This is a repetitive civil rights problem, systemic within their department, with no hint of remorse or regret or a notion to change, though they have been confronted numerous times.

 

I live on Signal Mountain. In the last few months, I have been pulled over three times while I was driving three different vehicles, for nothing more than coming up on Signal Mountain after midnight.   All three times, I was pulled over for the obscure accusation of having a “tag light out”.   The first time, they claimed that that was all it was.

The second time, it was the same cop, just one week later, and I was in a different vehicle. But, the second time, when the cop realized he had already pulled me over for the same thing, the cop said, “Well, the reason I pulled you over was because, well, you know, this is Signal Mountain, you know, crime suppression.” However, while I was pulled over, two motorcyclists passed us, and they were going very slow, certainly the speed limit of 25, and they weren’t doing anything wrong, and the cop came running up to my vehicle, pushed my license at me and said, “I’ve got to get these cyclists.” And even though the bike riders were doing nothing wrong, he left me to chase after them with his blue lights flashing. Once again, innocent people were being harassed by the Signal Mountain police. Those cyclists were totally innocent, as was I, except that we came up on Signal after midnight.

 

Tonight, May 22, I was pulled over for a third time while I was driving a different vehicle, which had absolutely nothing wrong with it. I was nearly home, but I was pulled over in the exact same spot that I had been pulled over the last two times - James Blvd. The cop asked for my driver’s license, and I had it ready, but while I was reaching for the paper work for the vehicle in the glove compartment, the Signal Mountain cop said, “Now that I see that you live on Signal Mountain, I’m not going to ask to see anything else. I just wanted to make sure you lived up here.”

 

He did not ask to see registration or insurance. He handed my license back and explained that they (the police) on Signal were in the habit of pulling over anyone after dark and seeing who they were, because, as he said, “we catch a lot of bad guys this way.”

 

When I complained that I had been pulled over three times for doing nothing more than coming up on Signal after midnight, he said, “I’m sorry about that, but by claiming that you have a tag light out, or something like that, we catch a lot of bad people that way.”

 

When I told him that I had had to give my white teen-age kids “the talk” about Signal Mountain Police, the same as black parents had to give their kids “the talk” about what the police would do to them, this officer said, “I’m sorry about that, but we catch a lot of bad people this way.”

 

The Signal Mountain Police are deliberately violating people’s civil rights to simply drive up on Signal Mountain after midnight. The police have taken it upon themselves to decide that anyone who doesn’t live on Signal Mountain has absolutely no legal right to drive on Signal Mountain after midnight without police harassment and lawless investigation and being falsely accused. And this is by their own admission to me, when they've relentlessly pulled me over.  And only if you live on Signal Mountain are you released without punishment, and you’re expected to be grateful for their mercy if they “let you go.”  Oh yes, thank you, officer, thank you. I guess you’re supposed to feel privileged and accepted if you’re a Signal Mountain resident. But woe unto you if you’re not and you hazard up here to visit a friend after midnight. Woe unto you.  Because then, you will be needlessly pulled over, accused as a violator, and you will most likely be fined, if not searched and arrested.

 

There is no curfew on Signal Mountain; anyone should be allowed to drive up here, as they would be allowed to drive anywhere in Hamilton County, without being harassed and accused and pulled over by the police.  I'm asking the Hamilton County sheriff and the state of Tennessee to investigate the Signal Mountain Police Department for unlawful abuse of drivers, as I have already requested the DOJ to do, and as I am also filing suit against them for civil rights abuse.  One time was too many, two times was abuse, and three times deserves compensation from Signal Mountain for the abuse they've committed against me.   

 

Pam Alexander
Signal Mountain 

* * * 

Gee.  It seems like someone has an agenda.  I have known Chief Mike Williams for over 30 years and know for a fact that he would not put up with the conduct you have described from his officers.  Try to find something legitimate about which to complain.  

William Parker 

P.S.  Good luck with your lawsuit.  I'm sure you can find an ambulance chaser who will be glad to file it for you for a few thousand dollars.  (Non-refundable of course.)

* * * 


Yes, Ms. Alexander, you are privileged.  Have you been shot at in the last few months?  Has your local market been robbed lately?  Have you heard gunfire on James Boulevard?   Is there a dope dealer hanging out on your corner?  Are the working girls blocking traffic?  

Thank you, Signal Mountain Police Department, for doing your job, which is to keep the local folks safe.  Driving after midnight indicates that you just might be intoxicated and a safety problem for the other fine folks that live up on the mountain. 

Unless you have something to hide, then a few minutes chatting with a police officer should not be a problem. 

Maybe the officer got a call about the cyclists and that was his reason for letting you go in a hurry? Maybe you are nice on the eyes and he is working up to asking you out on a date?  Don't think that will be happening now. 

You need to get a grip on just how privileged you and your three cars are to live in a safe place and not struggling down off the mountain. 

Mike Layne 

* * * 

Mr. Layne, 

Talk about privilege. How incredibly fortunate you are to have such an impressive line of demarcation: the fine folks living up on the mountain as opposed to those who struggle living down off the mountain. 

Perhaps driving after midnight up on the mountain might indicate a drunk driver, or perhaps, a physician coming home after treating a late night emergency, down off the mountain. 

You also imply that Ms. Alexander is privileged because she has not been shot at or robbed. She does not have to listen to gunfire or see working girls on her corner.   

There are undeniable privileges to living up on the mountain.  I wonder if you have given as much thought to those living in high crime areas, through no fault of their own.  I bet there are parents living down off the mountain who worry and pray for their children on a daily basis.  I wonder if you would be willing to work toward making all of Chattanooga as safe as Signal Mountain. 

One last thing. Did you seriously suggest that if Ms. Alexander was easy on the eyes, the officers may have wanted to ask her for a date?  And did you also suggest that an officer would certainly not ask her for a date now that she has spoken out publicly in her own defense? 

UTC offers courses in Women’s Studies and Sociology.  There are also numerous places to volunteer in Chattanooga in an effort to end violence, help the homeless, feed the poor and generally raise the standard of living down off the mountain. 

Cecilia Lewis
Ooltewah 

* * * 

I would love to see the police in my area have enough time to do some proactive policing. 

The dedicated men and women of the county and city police force where I live are understaffed, underpaid and overwhelmed with calls.  Unless you're drinking a beer, smoking a crack pipe and driving in the ditches, you will not get pulled over here. 

Pam, you live in such a nice area of town exactly because of how well the police do their job in your city.  The thieves and bad people stay out of Signal Mountain because they know they'll be checked when they try to enter the city. 

A few years ago I was dating my now wife and would leave her town fairly late at night quite regularly.  Often I would gas up before I left.  One night I'm at the pump filling up at 3 a.m. when a county police officer pulls into the station lot, rolls down his window and chats me up.  I knew what was up.  It's 3 a.m. and I'm getting gas.  I stand out.  The polite officer just wanted to check me out.  We chatted for about 10 minutes, had a couple of laughs and he pulled away.  Since then, I've seen that officer a few times and he always waves.  What would have happened if I'd gotten annoyed and started yelling, "Am I being detained?" or "Do you have probably cause?" or some other nonsense?  Maybe that officer would have been less excited about checking on suspicious people late at night.  Maybe he wouldn't stop and talk to a bad person that one time that would have stopped a violent crime. 

I know it's a bit disconcerting to be pulled over even when you know you haven't done anything wrong.  But take it in stride.  Smile at the overworked officer and thank him for doing his job very well. 

David Goins

* * *

Ms. Alexander, 

Your opinion article was quite fascinating, if not entertaining, as it is not based on any actual facts. In one sentence you stated you were just coming up the mountain, then you gave us the reason why you were pulled over.  

Would you not agree that you broke the law, got a warning, and you failed to fix the problem that continues to bring attention to you? In fact, a little google search would provide the language of the law. I have included it so that my response is formulated on truth. 

(c)(1)
Except as provided in subdivision (c)(2), for all motor vehicles that are factory-equipped to illuminate the registration plate, the registration plate shall be illuminated at all times that headlights are illuminated. 

I can infer from your writing, that you were in three different vehicles, maybe you are just a horrible driver? 

You accuse the Signal Mountain Police Department of repetitive civil rights violations. Well, driving is not a civil right, its a privilege. The fact that you have an equipment failure, which equals probable cause, which equals the temporary seizure is in fact, legal. Case closed.  

You then state that this problem is systematic and has been addressed several times. Which part? The legal stop or that people are complaining? If so, I have not seen anyone supporting your views at the town council meetings, but then again I have not been to every single one.  

Now, everything you stated is very important to you based on your viewpoint. We all must be able to place ourselves in someone else's shoes.  The fact that you are exercising your right to free speech is great. However, just because we can speak freely, does not mean that we should. With that, I take some offense, or confusion to this comment:  

When I told him that I had had to give my white teen-age kids “the talk” about Signal Mountain Police, the same as black parents had to give their kids “the talk” about what the police would do to them, this officer said, “I’m sorry about that, but we catch a lot of bad people this way.” 

What does that mean! And more, why is racism being interjected into a simple traffic stop? What the heck is “the talk” ? Having family of darker melanin, I have not heard of this talk. What talk, where is this talk? 

Now, here is the best part of everything you said. Once again, a little google search can get you a lot of information. The department has a Facebook page where comments and interaction is documented, as well as the great services of those officers caught in candid situations doing what they love to do, helping others.  

I would also be willing to bet that your wording, and your perception of the encounter, is going to either change or be proven false after this. 

In closing Ms. Alexander, reality will set in and your statements to any municipality to investigate your claims, will more than likely be proven false within a reasonable amount of time. 

No, I'm not a police officer, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn once and I am a competent, inquisitive, informed, and educated human contributor to society. Thank you for providing a debate topic.

Thank you Chattanoogan for hosting this opinion piece.  

Thank you to the m and women in uniforms serving the Land of the Free. 

John Steven
Signal Mountain 

* * * 

I'm not sure I see the problem with what the fine officers of the SMPD are doing. Signal is not a major thoroughfare to really anywhere and shuts down relatively early. If you're riding around late at night I salute them for stopping you to see who you are and what you are up to. Certainly makes me sleep better at night knowing we have patrols out keeping an eye on the community while we are all tucked nicely away in our beds. 

Keep up the fine work, gentlemen, and I'd think a message or call to the SMPD would certainly have been more helpful instead of this public opinion piece. I see them address citizens concerns directly on their Facebook page regularly. 

Relax and stop looking for something to complain about and be happy they are proactive and not re-active. 

Bo Coppinger
Signal Mountain 

* * *

It must be nice to feel privileged. I do not find what Ms. Alexander has stated as anything as privileged. She simply lives on top of the mountain. Many, many people drive home from work at midnight. Many, many people visit friends and family that last until midnight. So what if I am out until midnight having dinner? This does not excuse the police harassing innocent drivers not violating any laws. This is considered civil harassment.

Thankfully I am leaving Tennessee. This double standard, GOB network, and inexcusable harassment of individuals is too much. We have the HCDE who hides the truth, police who shoot and kill the innocent, gangs who rule the city, the GOB who will hire who they want, (Kirk's new appointments) and yet they get away with it. And I bet they drive home after midnight too.  

I understand securing the top of the mountain, but just because someone is driving late at night does not mean they are a criminal. As stated, the reasons to be pulled over were lame. Were any of the three vehicles "suspected" of any wrong doing? I would guess not, as I am sure Ms. Alexander is a safe and considerate driver. it is time for people to stand up against this type of harassment. 

"Gee.  It seems like someone has an agenda.  I have known Chief Mike Williams for over 30 years...." sounds like you have the agenda to keep him out of the spotlight. Police harassment is rampant, and many power hungry cops have agendas. 

Ms. Alexander, I am on your side even though no one else is. 

Rene Wood

* * *

I've been harassed on Signal Mountain. After my band played at Laurelwood Farm for a wedding reception, we were told by the facility owner "there is a ticket with your name on it waiting for you." With fair warning, our three-car caravan drove well under the speed limit. As we were about to descend the mountain two city police talking at a service station jumped in their cars and followed us with flashing lights down the mountain. I didn't stop my van until I reached the bottom of Signal Mountain Boulevard and stopped under a street light.

 

I was fortunate to have had a tuxedo on when they ordered me out of my van with their hands on their guns ready to draw. Strange that we had to take Medal of Honor Recipient Charles Coolidge Highway to play for Mr. Coolidge's granddaughter's wedding reception that night only to be harassed at the end of what would have been a perfectly memorable night.

 

Those two officers were later fired on unrelated police brutality charges. If I didn't have everything in place as far as driver's license, insurance, passing a sobriety test, and no warrants, I feel I would have been a victim of making their day.

 

My wife and I used to visit a quaint little bakery on Signal Mountain. After that experience I wouldn't want to risk her having to suffer the same harassment. These practices can't be good for business.

 

Val Edwards

* * *

Illegal traffic stops (stops without probable cause) are one of the few really proactive things your police can do to prevent crime and "police" their communities.

Signal Mountain Police do in fact make stops of late night drivers with made up probable cause , unless they're black. Black drivers are routinely stopped any time after dark, at least that was the case when I lived there in 80's.

For William Parker to claim that Chief Mike Williams “would not put up with" (that) conduct. Is ludicrous. Signal Mountain has been famous for that conduct for 40 years.

Collegedale does the same thing. One of their favorite tricks is to claim you didn't dim your headlights.

Lookout Mountain gives out those little round stickers  so they'll know who “not” to stop.

The only thing that really bothers me about this kind of proactive policing is that these officers are acting dishonestly and knowingly breaking the law with every stop they make on a false pretense.

A look at the FBI crime index shows that these areas have some of the lowest crime rates in the nation despite being next door to Chattanooga, which has an extremely high crime rate.

Steve Campbell

* * *

If what Mr. Mike Layne says is true, that the cop may be trying to work up the courage to ask Ms Alexander for a date, isn't he in violation of the federal statute Title 18, U.S.C, Section 242 Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law? 

This type practice on the mountaintops dates way back to the '60s and prior when my father worked for a family on Lookout Mountain and sometimes had to travel from Lookout Mountain to Signal Mountain and other mountain areas on business for the family he worked for. He had to be "cleared" to travel from mountain to mountain and back again. As a young child, he'd sometimes take me along with him. It may have had a brief period where it was stopped, only to return in full force and with a vengeance. 

But they're just likely "following orders" requested by Signal Mountain leaders and passed down to the chief, who pass those orders on down to his subordinates. 

Brenda Washington

* * *

Notice the initial letter writer did not state that her three different vehicles actually had inoperative license plate lights; that was merely the excuse given for stopping her.

Daylight drunk-driving checkpoints are similar offenses, and surely don't serve the stated purpose.
 
The obvious place to find and stop drunk drivers is right in front of the taverns, but who's ever seen any  policeman doing that?Police everywhere claim their illegal traffic stops do serve a purpose, by keeping their towns free of riff-raff and other undesirables.

There's an old story about a village idiot who routinely walked the streets of his town, tearing page after page out of a book and tossing the paper everywhere.

When asked what on Earth he was doing, the village idiot solemnly declared that he was keeping tigers out of the neighborhood.

"But there aren't any tigers around here!"   See, it works, don't it? was the fellow's satisfied reply.

As far as the Signal Mountain police are concerned, why don't they save all of us undesirable non-residents (oh, sorry; that's redundant, isn't it?) that long, dangerous trip up their mountain by putting their checkpoints at the bottom of the hill, where it's a lot more convenient to turn around and go elsewhere?  Or maybe they should just do what Sand Mountain supposedly did decades ago--put up signs beside the road, advising us we're not welcome in their part of America.

Let's see, now, where all around Chattanooga are we not welcome any more?  Red Bank made its point with cameras.  Then there's Collegedale, and Signal Mountain.  Ooltewah chimed in recently, not wanting any urban outdoorsmen disguised as farmers transplanted into their vicinity.  And of course there are all of those really bad neighborhoods after dark.  

Maybe it would be simpler to list the places where we are allowed to go?!

Good grief; and this is supposed to be one of the most friendly parts of the country.

Larry Cloud

* * *

Ms Alexander,

I admire your courage to speak out about your experience.

I am sorry you are subjected to such blather from people who can be so strong from the safety of their keyboards.

Two suggestions: Contact TBI at their Chattanooga division office and relay your story with dates, times, and vehicle lights status at those times.

Contact the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office in Nashville with the same information. You may want to include your communication with these entities to Signal Mountain Town Administration so that Mayor’s Office and Chief of Police have knowledge.

Last but not least, when you  pursue legal action, do this.

Have your lawyer send a press release to all local radio, television, print and online newsrooms. 

The short-term effect is plain. Businesses in the Signal Mountain community will see lower gross numbers to report to Tennessee Department of Revenue. In turn municipal sales tax collections will see a decrease. And then town management will do an audit of behaviors that led to such outcomes. And maybe your friends and your neighbors will notice a decline in blanket checks of “driving after midnight” in your hometown.

The best way to handle any  civil or political or environmental issue is economic. Show the party their behavior will cost them money they don’t “need” to spend or lose and they will modify that behavior. This process takes time and persistence and it does work.

Take Care, Prentice Hicks

* * *

Don't worry Ms. Wood. There are a good many people on Ms. Anderson's side. A couple of years ago I was pulled over twice for reasons I'll call fictitious and I have witnesses for both incidents. I didn't get a ticket or get arrested because I said yes sir and no sir and was fully cooperative but cordially firm in my disagreement. What was not said but we all knew was that I was actually guilty of driving an old work truck at night. Same policeman both times. I personally saw the same guy ruining peoples Sunday morning drive to church on Taft Highway on three consecutive weekends and like the band member said, back-up arrived with hands on tasers as if Daddy with his family dressed up for church might just pull a Ted Bundy or something. 

I met my friends at Ayala's once and they were pulled over on their way home because somebody had just blasted through town in one of those obnoxious little souped up four cylinder sedans with little or no muffler. The officer told my friends that because of that he he was pulling over all suspicious looking vehicles. The problem is that my friends, four grown men and women, were driving under the speed limit and between the lines in a new Honda minivan. I don't know if it was the same officer but this happened at about the same time I was being pulled over. Again, nobody got a ticket but still, it was an intrusion to them and harassment for me. People have hundreds of stories just like this but are afraid to say anything. It's a little town. I think the guy who bothered me is gone now and I'm glad. I wish him well but if he's still in law enforcement, he needs a crash course in how to not bother law abiding people.   

Other Signal Mountain Police I have had occasion to meet have been professional and they do their jobs well. I had a long conversation with a one at All Things Extreme on the subject of how much fun it is to ride dirt bikes. Very nice guy who is woefully underpaid. I applaud the Signal Mountain Police for they really do keep the town safe. People obey the speed limit and it's safe to walk anywhere. That's a blessing.
 
However, there are many dumb laws out there and a license plate light that's not lit is one of them. Doesn't everybody have head lamps? To enforce that stupid law is not as bad as making things up to pull people over but it is over-zealous. I heard a former cop who is now a Harvard Law professor say "there is a difference between correct police work and good police work." In my humble opinion, if a driver is not drunk, speeding, being reckless, smoking dope or whatever, leaving him or her alone regardless of a broken license plate light is far better than correct police work. Getting pulled over for something that mundane followed by overkill back-up is not "a little chat with a policeman." It's an interrogation in a sea of too many blue lights and an unnecessary intrusion that makes good people really mad. 

On Signal, it's a problem.

If pulling people over for these kinds of things is policy, I wish the powers that be would strongly consider changing or abolishing said policy. If it's an overly aggressive individual or two, please tell them to cut that "stuff" out.

Savage Glascock Sr.

* * *

What is most startling are the comments that equate to "if you're nothing wrong you should allow the police to (fill in the blank)." The United States Supreme Court addressed traffic stops such as described by Ms. Alexander.

In Delaware v. Prouse, 440 U.S. 648 (1979) the Court (8-1 majority opinion) specifically found that police may not conduct a traffic stop without any reasonable suspicion to suspect criminal activity to merely check a driver's license and auto registration. The Court further noted that police cannot subject citizens to the rigors of such random stops no matter how brief to merely ensure the safety of roadways.

This mind-set shown by those criticizing Ms. Alexander reflects a mind-set that arose in countries from 1933 Germany to 2013 Egypt that slid toward becoming police states by exchanging liberty from the heavy hand of government for "security" by the heavy hand of government.   

Robin Ruben Flores
Tenn. BPR # 20751
Ga. State Bar # 200745

***

After reading the first few rebuttals to Ms. Alexander’s letter, I was beginning to lose faith that logic might prevail in this discussion.  I am thankful that Robin Flores gave us the brief history lesson and an example of case law demonstrating why this is a dangerous practice regarding our civil liberties.

Larry Cloud asked “Where all around Chattanooga are we allowed to go?” If you want to experience the beauty of the mountains and not be bothered by ridiculous tag light stops, come to Suck Creek Mountain (I believe Signal residents like to refer to it as Walden’s Ridge).  We never close.  Just ask all of the children of the Signal Mountain residents who joy ride down Big Fork Road in the wee hours of the morning after availing themselves of the “spiritual” festivities on the northern end of the road.  Heck, we even take their 18-wheelers who aren’t allowed to go up Signal, too.  All we ask is that you bring some bread and milk since we don’t have any stores or gas stations on our mountain (or Internet either thanks to lobbyists).  We were hoping for a convenience store just before we go up Suck Creek Road but it turns out that doesn’t fit in with the Signal residents’ vision of the gateway to “the” mountain.

Linda McDonald

Suck Creek Mountain

* * *

I fully support the gutsy letter by Pam Alexander and am in further support of Mr. Robin Flores' admonition of the knee-jerk responses by the phalanx of apologists for police over-reach.  I've lived on Signal Mountain for over 60 years and remember a time when our police were not the sort of "swat team wannabes" we have today.  Those were times when residents would hang their house keys on hooks at the police station when they were out of town so officers could gain access if needed and residents respected their neighbors and the community by driving at or below posted speed limits.  People scoff at such descriptions of the "old days" as comical references to images popularized by Norman Rockwell which were, at one time, quite descriptive of life in America.  Yes, times have changed - while our insouciant population wastes time on reality TV ignoring their civic responsibilities, our local, state and federal ships of state have hit the rocks.
 
But the boys in blue on Signal had their forgettable moments back then, too.  Like when our house, directly behind the old town hall and police department where the CVS now stands, was burglarized one summer but there was no sign of forced entry; or when it was discovered that stolen tires were being sold out of the basement of the town hall itself.
 
Today, our country's police departments have devolved into a sort of para-military force that are more interested in fostering an authoritarian, fear-based approach to policing.  Since our country's neocon elitists and Pentagon adventurists have put the country on an "endless war" footing with their mantra that terrorists are under every rock, the glut of military hardware that has been gifted to police departments has left many them more heavily armed than many National Guard units.  This has largely destroyed their respectfulness among the public which sees too many instances where their blatant aggressive and violent actions in violation of citizen's rights, even up to murder, are written off by "internal affairs inquiries" in which their investigations of themselves lead to little or no punishment - it's almost routine any more in what is becoming "police-state" America.
 
I think it would enlighten many to look into the emergence of experiences like Ms. Alexander's in light of the hiring of Mike Williams as Signal Mountain Police Chief whose time at the Chattanooga Police Academy marked a period during which two or three dozen people were beaten and several killed in police custody in the Chattanooga area.  I'm told his wife still works as a Swat instructor and he has traveled to testify in defense of officers charged with using excessive force and to give instruction on the use of the baton.  Are we just being prepared for a time when a broken tail light could lead to a baton beating or a murder on a Signal Mountain roadside?
 
I hope not.
 
I sat in a meeting and watched the Town Council anguish over how to budget a "Resource Officer" to patrol the halls of the Signal Mountain High School as if to not have a "school policeman" was courting disaster.  I resisted getting in their faces at that time to remind them that I had written letters three years running to nearly every person in Town government asking for speed patrols on my street since the yuppie minions leave the High School every day blasting past my house at nearly twice the limit - it was and is my conviction that we have a greater need for "neighborhood resource officers" and more radar patrols in neighborhoods since speeding is endemic in the town, as it is in the county and the rest of the country.  To me it is emblematic of the lawlessness that has crept into the attitude of too many of our citizens in our "country based on laws".
 
Bruce Wilkey
Signal Mountain

* * *

Ms. Alexander is spot-on with her assessment and reporting of the actions of the SMPD. This has been ongoing since I was a kid. My best friend lived on Signal Mountain growing up and we were routinely pulled over coming into the town at night as passengers in  his mom's "kiddie caravan." There are numerous others who are innocently coming up the mountain only to get pulled over for no reason at all other than one of "Signal's finest" wanted to "see what was up."

This problem isn't going to go away until someone takes action, goes over the department and gets a higher-up to start an investigation into this wayward practice. I choose not to go up the mountain at all if possible because nine out of 10 times the SMPD will pull you over for no reason at all and take up at least 45 minutes of your time while they run you and make sure you are on the up and up. It is a headache and a very dishonest practice that has been in place for far too long. Thanks Ms. Alexander for shedding light on the situation.

Ian Maclellan, Ooltewah

* * *

If Ms. Alexander is that worried about the Signal Mountain Police, I suggest she travel up Roberts Mill Road, aka "The Gap".  There are no police on that twisty two-lane road and it's specifically out of the reaches of the Signal Mountain Police's jurisdiction......plus no traffic delays.

Oh and thank you Signal Mountain Police for keeping residents safe.

Billy Thomas


 

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