Couple Catches Neighborhood Speeders, Officer

[johnnymk]

Time for the ACLU to intervene? (Even though I hate the ACLU)

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10935892/d...302062007&ts=H

ATLANTA -- A Bartow County couple is fighting back against neighborhood speeders. Lee and Teresa Sipple live at the bottom of a steep hill outside of Rome and say most motorists ignore the posted speed limit and zoom by their house, endangering them and their 2-year-old son. But now, fighting back could land them in jail.

Lee and Teresa Sipple have an upcoming court date to see if they will be arrested for messing with a cop.

“My little boy, I don’t, I don’t want him hurt,” Lee Sipple told Channel 2. Lee and his wife, Teresa are tired of neighborhood speeders. “Not that I’m going to teach my child to play out in the street but when they come off that hill, they’re just cooking! I mean, I’ve got people going 50 and 46, a 42, a 37,” explained Lee.

How does Lee know their actual speed? He went out and purchased a radar.

“I’m not trying to get the folks in trouble per se, I’m just trying to slow them down and if they see the radar, they may slow down – but it hasn’t happened yet,” Lee said.

So Lee took it one step further.

“I mean, and I figured, well as much as I hate to do it…” He and his wife spent $1,200 on cameras that capture the evidence. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” said Lee. “It’s not something I can make up. You can sit here and watch it work, as a car goes by.”

Lee has three different cameras trained on the street to catch local speeders red-handed.

“Video evidence – same thing as the red light cameras – and I can grab it, print it, send it, e-mail it…” Lee said.

Lee says his most surprising catch yet? A neighbor who ought to know better. “Kennesaw police officer, you know, coming down the hill and running 34 miles per hour in a 25 mile an hour zone.”

And Lee says it happens quite often.

“Oh, I’ve caught him going 42, 37, going up the hill, down the hill, all kinds of speeds.”

The Kennesaw officer is named Richard Perrone – he declined our request for an interview.

Kennesaw police say they’ve talked with the Sipples, but can’t interfere in another county’s business.

“We continue to talk to the officer to continue to find out his side, but it’s ultimately going to come down to Bartow County. It’s their jurisdiction for them to investigate it and enforce the traffic laws in their jurisdiction,” said Officer Scott Luther.

Turns out, Bartow County did get involved, when their deputy knocked on the Sipple’s front door.

“Low and behold, she’s there trying to figure out if she’s going to arrest me or not for harassing him,” said Lee.

That’s right. Perrone is seeking a warrant in Bartow County Court to have Lee and Teresa locked up for stalking.

“I was under the impression that I wasn’t supposed to be scared of the police, but this officer…he’s trying to poke at me, trying to intimidate me, trying to harass me,” Lee said. “I live here, I can’t retreat, I can’t go no further back. I mean, what am I to do?”

According to the warrant affidavit filed by Officer Perrone, he says the Sipples did harass him by sending his employer multiple e-mails in an effort to get him in trouble. Kennesaw Police say they are investigating and have counseled Perrone before for improperly flashing his badge at the Sipples. A judge will here Perrone’s stalking application February 14.

[ShawnLee]

No, not the ACLU, they'd likely side with the cop because of the privacy concerns, if anything. Though, to be fair, local ACLU chapters make different calls independent of the national group, for better or worse.

I like this, let's see the cop get laughed out of court, then given a local ticket when he admits to speeding under oath.

[bachviet]

Punk a$$ cop deserves more than a ticket since he should have known better. I hate cops who use their badges to get away with breaking the laws.

[thresher]

How is he (Sipple) STALKING him? Sipple stands in HIS OWN YARD, in public, and records class C and class B misdemeanors and this asshat says he's stalking him? Last time I checked, if a policeman comes to my place of business to arrest me for failure to show up at court (which is the next step if I don't show up for a class B misdemeanor in Texas) I can't say he is stalking me. How is it different for a citizen? Has this officer not ever heard of a citizen's arrest?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen's_arrest#United_States ARGHH!!

[gwilks98]

They're red flagging themselves to be bullied by his cop friends. This is a bad way to handle things.

[Jeffbx]

How is he (Sipple) STALKING him?

Accurding to the article,

According to the warrant affidavit filed by Officer Perrone, he says the Sipples did harass him by sending his employer multiple e-mails in an effort to get him in trouble.

You know, this is the stuff that gives law enforcement a bad name. Anytime cops act like they're above the law, it's bad. But when they cluster together to protect themselves from prosecution like this, it's send a loud & clear message that the cops are in charge, they have the power, and there's nothing the average citizen can do about it. Great idea there, guys.

[DarkFury]

You know, this is the stuff that gives law enforcement a bad name. Anytime cops act like they're above the law, it's bad. But when they cluster together to protect themselves from prosecution like this, it's send a loud & clear message that the cops are in charge, they have the power, and there's nothing the average citizen can do about it. Great idea there, guys.

And that is why we refer to them as "The Man" sometimes... cause they got the power to do almost whatever they want to you.

[thresher]

The neighbor across the street from my parents bought one of those speed measuring trailers the other day. The type that has a giant display of your speed and the speed limit. She is one of the Neiman heirs, so what do you expect. The city had no problem with it. (no camera on it, though)