Dumb redneck town resorts to racial profiling

[Vinsanity]

Driving through Tenaha, Texas, doesn't pay for some

Reporting from Tenaha, Texas -- You can drive into this dusty fleck of a town near the Texas-Louisiana state line if you're African American, but you might not be able to drive out of it -- at least not with your car, your cash, your jewelry or other valuables.

That's because the police here allegedly have found a way to strip motorists, many of them black, of their property without ever charging them with a crime. Instead they offer out-of-towners a grim choice: Sign over your belongings to the town, or face felony charges of money laundering or other serious crimes.

More than 140 people reluctantly accepted that deal from June 2006 to June 2008, according to court records. Among them were a black grandmother from Akron, Ohio, who surrendered $4,000 in cash after Tenaha police pulled her over, and an interracial couple from Houston, who gave up more than $6,000 after police threatened to seize their children and put them into foster care, the court documents show. Neither the grandmother nor the couple were charged with or convicted of any crime.

Once the motorists were detained, the police and the Shelby County district attorney quickly drew up legal papers presenting them with an option: Waive their rights to their cash and property or face felony charges for crimes such as money laundering -- and the prospect of having to hire a lawyer and return to Shelby County multiple times to contest the charges in court.



Apparently routine

The process apparently is so routine in Tenaha that Guillory discovered pre-signed and pre-notarized police affidavits with blank spaces left for an officer to fill in a description of the property being seized.

Jennifer Boatright, her husband and two young children -- a mixed-race family -- were traveling from Houston to visit relatives in East Texas in April 2007 when Tenaha police pulled them over, alleging that they were driving in a left-turn lane.

After searching the car, the officers discovered what Boatright said was a gift for her sister: a small, unused glass pipe made for smoking marijuana. Although they found no drugs or other contraband, the police seized $6,037 that Boatright said the family was carrying to purchase a used car -- and then threatened to turn their children, ages 10 and 1, over to Child Protective Services if the couple didn't agree to sign over their right to their cash.

"It was give them the money or they were taking our kids," Boatright said. "They suggested that we never bring it up again. We figured we better give them our cash and get the hell out of there."

"The law has gotten away from what was intended, which was to take the profits of a bad guy's crime spree and use it for additional crime fighting," Whitmire said. "Now it's largely being used to pay police salaries -- and it's being abused because you don't even have to be a bad guy to lose your property."

This officially makes this "dusty fleck of a town" no better than any other third world country where corrupt cops stop and rob you. I'm sorry, but I don't care if the town's survival depends on this practice; they should wither away in agony as they disappear off the face of the earth for all I care. Actually, I take that back; I'm not sorry 

In the meanwhile, if you ever find yourself in the area and don't happen to be some white trash redneck, make sure you don't carry any valuables in your car or on your person, don't break any traffic laws ... and oh, make sure you have Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name of" on full blast on your stereo as you cruise by the police department ever so slowly with both middle fingers extended outside your open car windows 

[Submariner]

Holy crap...I'm all for tough drug laws but this is unbelievable.

I mean...I've read about some kooky actions taken by the police, perps, etc, but this is actually breathtakingly bad.

[Eye of the Tiger]

What will the Tenaha police do when people no longer respect their authoritay? If a cop came after me in that town, I would just make a run for it.

[Rupert]

They'll shoot yer ass.

I would drive around the town, I do believe.

[Byteme]

They'll shoot yer ass.

I would drive around the town, I do believe.

See my post at:  http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=17805.0   I've been stopped there before.

That area is famous for that kind of crap.  The area between Nacogdoches and Carthage Texas on US 59 is famous for speed traps and questionable search and seizures.  Smart drivers take US 259 north out of carthage and then take state road 315 over to Carthage, thus avoiding that area altogether.


And the stops aren't really about drugs, it's about shaking down otherwise innocent people.

[Raza]

And the stops aren't really about drugs, it's about shaking down otherwise innocent people.

And yet people get offended when I refer to police uniforms as gang colors...

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I thought this was 2009 not 1959. 

[Soup DeVille]

I thought this was 2009 not 1959. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same, my friend.

[bing_oh]

Police officers who violate the law are not police officers, they're criminals.

That being said, while the circumstances of what's going on this this town clearly sound fishy, it also sounds like we're hearing one side of the scenarios. One thing I've learned is that there are at least three sides to every story...the sides of the two opposing parties and the truth somewhere in the middle.

And, who the hell carries $6000 cash and brings a pot pipe as a gift to a family visit?

[Raza]

I do.   

[Eye of the Tiger]

Last time I checked, cash was not illegal.

[Vinsanity]

And, who the hell carries $6000 cash and brings a pot pipe as a gift to a family visit?

Apparently, the town is on the way to some gambling spots in Louisiana from the Houston area, so people traveling with $$$ is not out of the ordinary.

[Raza]

Last time I checked, cash was not illegal.

No, but cops must defend cops.  It's part of the oath they take.  How does it go...?

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these coppers from protecting and serving each other, no matter how scuzzy or sleazy or abominable they or their actions may be."

That's how it goes, isn't it?

[bing_oh]

No, but cops must defend cops.  It's part of the oath they take.  How does it go...?

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these coppers from protecting and serving each other, no matter how scuzzy or sleazy or abominable they or their actions may be."

That's how it goes, isn't it?

Uh huh. Missed that first line in my post, didn't ya, Raza? Oh, I guess it was just your normal selective perception...

[Soup DeVille]

Police officers who violate the law are not police officers, they're criminals.

That being said, while the circumstances of what's going on this this town clearly sound fishy, it also sounds like we're hearing one side of the scenarios. One thing I've learned is that there are at least three sides to every story...the sides of the two opposing parties and the truth somewhere in the middle.

And, who the hell carries $6000 cash and brings a pot pipe as a gift to a family visit?

There's a long ways from "questionable" to "criminal," and no matter what, "give us the money and we'll let you go" is never an acceptable course of action.

[bing_oh]

Last time I checked, cash was not illegal.

Nope, cash isn't illegal. It's extremely unusual to find somebody carrying $6000 in cash in this age of electronic funds, but not inherently illegal.

Now, as a person of average economic means, I've never carried that kind of funds in cash on me. Hell, I'm almost always armed and I wouldn't be comfortable carrying $6000 in cash! What ever happened to bank transfers and cashiers checks for large sums?

[bing_oh]

There's a long ways from "questionable" to "criminal," and no matter what, "give us the money and we'll let you go" is never an acceptable course of action.

I agree that, from the information given, it sounds like an extortion scheme. I just wonder if the information given is ALL of the information. If so, it involves alot more than just the local PD...it would have to include the local prosecutor's office and judges in the conspiracy. That's 1950's-era shit right there.

[Soup DeVille]

I agree that, from the information given, it sounds like an extortion scheme. I just wonder if the information given is ALL of the information. If so, it involves alot more than just the local PD...it would have to include the local prosecutor's office and judges in the conspiracy. That's 1950's-era shit right there.

And we know that New Rome pulled off a scam like that- although less felonious perhaps, it did involve the whole town pretty much ( for what it was).

[Raza]

Uh huh. Missed that first line in my post, didn't ya, Raza? Oh, I guess it was just your normal selective perception...

Oh yeah.  I read that.

"If these cops were breaking the law, then they're criminals.  But, honestly, it doesn't look like they're breaking the law at all.  I mean, if those people weren't guilty of something, they wouldn't have money with them!  These cops were just doing normal cop work.  Good job for them, I'm going to forward this article to my captain and see if we can get a similar program running in my precinct."

[bing_oh]

Oh yeah.  I read that.

"If these cops were breaking the law, then they're criminals.  But, honestly, it doesn't look like they're breaking the law at all.  I mean, if those people weren't guilty of something, they wouldn't have money with them!  These cops were just doing normal cop work.  Good job for them, I'm going to forward this article to my captain and see if we can get a similar program running in my precinct."

Interesting how you accuse me of defending all LEO's simply because of their job, while you judge all LEO's for the same reason. Hypocrisy at its finest.

[Byteme]

I agree that, from the information given, it sounds like an extortion scheme. I just wonder if the information given is ALL of the information. If so, it involves alot more than just the local PD...it would have to include the local prosecutor's office and judges in the conspiracy. That's 1950's-era shit right there.

Way too much smoke here not be a fire behind it.  Like I said earlier.  I've been stopped there early in the morning while starting a vacation trip.  The cop followed me without lights for a few miles then switched them on and pulled me over.  Searched the car closely.  Never ticketed, never even gave me a reason why I was pulled over. 

See:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-profiling_wittmar10,0,6051682.story

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-texas-profiling11-2009mar11,0,507135.story

http://www.topix.com/city/tenaha-tx

[Catman]

And yet people get offended when I refer to police uniforms as gang colors...

Every agency represents a different government and are operated by their own policies.  Because this department seems to be abusing their authority that doen't imply that others are.  That's like saying that Wal Mart rips people off and since Best Buy is a store then they are ripping people off too.  I really don't understand why you always paint with such a huge brush?  You could have another jurisdiction in a neighboring town who does nothing like this and by your standards they are no better?  Sorry, that's wrong.

[Tave]

I wouldn't get too upset with him over it, because when he said, "people get offended when I refer to police uniforms as gang colors," he mispoke. When he refers to police uniforms as gang colors, people think he's a moron. Most of them aren't offended enough to bat an eye.

You can rest assured that your average citizen doesn't agree with that, and this is comming from a person who has had far more negative encounters with the police than Raza.

[Cobra93]

Way too much smoke here not be a fire behind it.  Like I said earlier.  I've been stopped there early in the morning while starting a vacation trip.  The cop followed me without lights for a few miles then switched them on and pulled me over.  Searched the car closely.  Never ticketed, never even gave me a reason why I was pulled over. 

See:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-profiling_wittmar10,0,6051682.story

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-texas-profiling11-2009mar11,0,507135.story

http://www.topix.com/city/tenaha-tx

From the article:
"But in 147 others, Guillory said the court records showed, police seized cash, jewelry, cell phones and sometimes even automobiles from motorists but never found any contraband or charged them with any crime. Of those, Guillory said he managed to contact 40 of the motorists directly?and discovered all but one of them were black."

Spending too much time in the tanning bed, John? 

[Catman]

From the article:
"But in 147 others, Guillory said the court records showed, police seized cash, jewelry, cell phones and sometimes even automobiles from motorists but never found any contraband or charged them with any crime. Of those, Guillory said he managed to contact 40 of the motorists directly?and discovered all but one of them were black."

Spending too much time in the tanning bed, John? 

[Cookie Monster]

Nope, cash isn't illegal. It's extremely unusual to find somebody carrying $6000 in cash in this age of electronic funds, but not inherently illegal.

Now, as a person of average economic means, I've never carried that kind of funds in cash on me. Hell, I'm almost always armed and I wouldn't be comfortable carrying $6000 in cash! What ever happened to bank transfers and cashiers checks for large sums?

They were on their way to buy a used car, and that's not unusual to buy outright in cash.

[Byteme]

From the article:
"But in 147 others, Guillory said the court records showed, police seized cash, jewelry, cell phones and sometimes even automobiles from motorists but never found any contraband or charged them with any crime. Of those, Guillory said he managed to contact 40 of the motorists directly?and discovered all but one of them were black."

Spending too much time in the tanning bed, John? 

Had I been black there is every possibility that my wife, son and I would have been on foot with the clothes on our back in December weather.

[Raza]

Interesting how you accuse me of defending all LEO's simply because of their job, while you judge all LEO's for the same reason. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Perhaps, but then again, I'll gladly eat humble pie should someone with a tin star prove me wrong.  You said what you said, which sounded sensible, then you went on to all but justify their actions by blaming the victims. 

Every agency represents a different government and are operated by their own policies.  Because this department seems to be abusing their authority that doen't imply that others are.  That's like saying that Wal Mart rips people off and since Best Buy is a store then they are ripping people off too.  I really don't understand why you always paint with such a huge brush?  You could have another jurisdiction in a neighboring town who does nothing like this and by your standards they are no better?  Sorry, that's wrong.

Don't be so touchy, Greg.  I've already amended my normal motto of "all cops are dirty" to "all cops are dirty except for Greg."  Painting with a huge brush, pshaw!

Also, WalMart does rip people off; it's part of their profit strategy.  But I assume that's neither here nor there in relation to your argument.

I wouldn't get too upset with him over it, because when he said, "people get offended when I refer to police uniforms as gang colors," he mispoke. When he refers to police uniforms as gang colors, people think he's a moron. Most of them aren't offended enough to bat an eye.

You can rest assured that your average citizen doesn't agree with that, and this is comming from a person who has had far more negative encounters with the police than Raza.

Oh, fuck you, douchebag.  Let the average citizen feel safe around people in uniforms.  So many cops here have exhibited the Us vs. Them mentality, so they should expect to be looked at with the same distrust they feel for us. 

Let me put it in simpler, less assholishly prejudiced terms.  People can not be trusted.  Cops are people.  Therefore, cops can not be trusted.  Is that playing nice enough for you?

[Tave]

Oh, fuck you, douchebag.  Let the average citizen feel safe around people in uniforms. 

I have nothing to do with that. I can't "let" it happen. The average citizen feels safe around police because, on average, the police do their job to protect him.

[Raza]

I have nothing to do with that. I can't "let" it happen. The average citizen feels safe around police because, on average, the police do their job to protect him.

Yes, and on average, the average driver doesn't go smashing into cars and children and the like, but I still look left, right, and left again before pulling out into the street.