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Police on Blast!
Friday afternoon, after a very long week, I am TOO ready for
the weekend. When a friend asked if I
would meet her after work for drink, I wholeheartedly accepted the invite. Having some time to spare, I head over to
visit another friend just back in town after being gone a while. After our visit, I head up Bourdon (John
Brown) for my much anticipated dinner and libations. As I approach the entrance of Villa Creole
and Royal Oasis, I notice that there is a “fouy” (police check point).
These check points are not uncommon, especially during the
weekends. It’s similar to the increase
police presence that we in the states are used to, called “the end of the month
quota check”.
I follow the long line of cars in front of me, and am
finally stopped by a police officer (officer 1). The
officer is short in stature, wearing the typical police uniform with an orange
reflector vest over top. He stops and
asks me for my license and car paperwork.
I readily give him everything. He
then asks me if I would unlock my back door.
Having nothing to hide, and not in the mood for any trouble, I quickly
oblige.
*In Haiti, a simple check stop
can lead to major problems if you are not one of the “connected” ones. Fearing what could happen, I immediately dial
a friend, who shall we say- is connected.
I tell him where I am, and he says he will be right over.
At some point Officer 1 motions to a fellow officer, and he
immediately opens the other back door.
Both officers are there for several minutes, and I can’t really see what
is going on. I turn when Officer 1 asks
me if my windows were tinted. I say no
because I have been stopped and checked before and was allowed to go after
passing inspection. This cop was not
satisfied with my answer. He and the other
officer go through great lengths to remove the film from my back windows. I sit quietly, watching them from my rear
view window.
This is a procedure that
use to be common practice back in 2005 when kidnapping in Haiti had reached an
alarming rate. Kidnappers were known to
hid people in the backs of cars, protected by dark tint. But I am not a kidnapper!
Without a word the two officers begin to remove stripes of
the film. Not enough to completely
remove it, but so that it is so ugly that I will be forced to have to remove
the whole thing on my own. If that wasn't enough, when they were finished, Officer 1 does not explain his actions,
but simply shoves a paper at me and then walks away. I look around for him, and see him already a
few feet behind pulling over a motorcyclist.
“Excuse me Sir”, no answer.
“Sir”, no answer. I start to get
out of my car and go after him, but think twice.
*You see, Haiti has laws yes, but the police
need not follow said laws. Meaning that
a police officer in Haiti can do or say anything and you put your safety in
jeopardy if you in anyway question or compromise their authority. Having said that, my actions that followed
were not smart at all, but as an American I went right into “I know my rights”
mode.
I inch my vehicle up to where the
officer was, still with the same motorcyclist.
I roll down my window and again call after him, adding that he’s told me
nothing. He glares at me, says, “Ou
gentan konnen” (You already know) and walks away. I yell after him, “What does that mean?” He ignores
me. Now I am livid!
I look around and see another officer, also in the issued
PNH uniform but without the vest, I yell out to him if I can speak with him for
a minute. Looking at this man, you
immediately see by his stance alone that he is of a higher rank. He finally makes his way over to me, and asks
what’s wrong. I immediately starts
spewing out the details of my ordeal with Officer 1 with such haste that he has
to ask me to calm down. He’s palliative
tone calms me and I slowly explain the episode.
Officer 1 had thrust a form at me, had seized my license without telling
me or explaining how/where I could get it back.
I told this officer that based on my accent I am sure he could tell that
I wasn't from here. This was my first
time in such a situation, and the officer had explained nothing to me. The officer asked for the paper I had been
given. He took time in explaining that I
had received several tickets and for what.
He gave me the address and explained the procedure on how I could get my
license back. I was all set to go on my
way, when I see Officer 1 pass by with a smirk on his face, laughing at
me. I LOSE IT!! I beginning yelling at
him that it was only because he had this power that he was acting this
way. I add that it was an abuse of power
and asked had he no idea how to speak to a lady. Officer 2 again asked me to calm down, he
handed me my paperwork and I began to drive off.
As I was pulling away, my friendly “connection” called to
say that he'd arrive and that he couldn't find me.
Before I could explain where I was exactly, a huge officer dressed in
SWAT attire and caring a big baton flagged me down. Done with the whole situation, I immediately
hurled my phone to the car floor. I
rolled down my window, and the officer, shouted at me “Your paperwork”. I shouted back, “They took it”. I shouldn't have had to since Mr. Big had
been only a few feet away and more than likely had been watching the whole
thing. He gets upset and says, “Pa pale
ave’m konsa” (Don’t speak to me like that).
I immediately apologize and he repeats louder, “Pa pale ave’m konsa”. Again I apologize. He says it again. Now I yell, “I said sorry!” I hand him the paperwork, he begins writing
more violation to my already long list.
While sitting there, the friend who I was supposed to meet for drinks
calls me. I had already alerted her of
the situation, and she had come to see after me. As we spoke I could see her coming towards me
from the opposite direction. I begin to
tell her where I was exactly, and then she is then pulled over.
Officer Big is now finished with me, he hands
me my paperwork and barks for me to move on.
I move on without saying a word.
I am in front of a gas station and decide to pull in to await my
friend. She follows behind a few minutes
later, only to inform me that she too had her license taken…for talking on the
phone. Now we were both very ready for drinks!
I really had to share this story, because it shows just how
things are done here in Haiti. If you
have money, power, and/or connections; the country is at your feet.
All day long I see people, who really shouldn't be talking while driving doing just that. Too often big 18 wheelers are coming speeding
towards you, with shaky tires, while talking on the phone. I often wonder where the cops are then. When those in there shiny big Toyota Prado
with tints so black, with only a thick strip left so the driver can see out of.
When the guy in the big pick up hit my car while I sat in traffic in front of
the police prescient. A cop did come
then, but he just looked, even having to go onto the sidewalk to get by the
accident. Where does that happen? A female in a car alone! A country, where
without notice, laws are added and/or taken away. When I told someone my story, they explained,
“Yeah, I think I heard they were bringing the tint thing back”. WTH?
I’m not saying that these laws shouldn't exist, but I am
saying if they do exist, they should for EVERYBODY!
My advice, don’t do what I did, but definitely learn the lay
of the land while here. It also pays to
make the right “connection”.
Photo credits:
gbgm-umc.org
belpilitik.com
mangodhaiti.com
MB
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