The constable who came by the house last night to make an arrest based on a traffic ticket incurred after FEEDING THE METER in Reading and not being notified prior, failed to produce identification when I asked his identity. He also refused to show me the papers issued by Tom Xavios' Magisterial District Court. After I explained my problems with this office he denied working out of it. Constables, especially in Reading, all work out of specific courts. Then he called me a liar and said he didn't trust me to go to the court today.
Since when do law enforcement personnel fail to produce proper identification when asked? All I know about this man is his last name is Weder or Wieder. Nor producing ID is a serious mistake. How are people to know the person at their door isn't some joker with a t-shirt and dime store badge? After he refused my offer of going to the court today then to the Mayor's office for a frank discussion of the corrupt parking authority in Reading he refused to accept my check.
I was ready and willing to pay him the exorbitant amount I was being shaken down for in return, as I put it, for getting my pound of flesh about this on my blogs. It's time this scam was exposed. I was tempted to write something immediately after receiving that ticket but deferred feeling it would damage the Mayor's campaign. I won't ever make that mistake again.
I've heard very offensive remarks from various constables over the years. Very racist, bigoted, intolerant statements made against minorities and gays. I was actually investigating constable misbehavior the day I got this ticket. Fliers were being distributed around the city, something which seems to happen in each election, spreading inaccurate smears and without the legally required disclosures as to whom paid for and distributed the fliers. I tracked these down to a group of constables working for one of the Mayoral candidates. I wasn't able to obtain direct proof however so I didn't write the article. Therefore I won't mention the constables involved or the candidate. It's only a matter of time, however, until they get caught.
It's ironic that I defended constables after The Reading Eagle published articles some described as "hit pieces." I corrected the record about they are paid and how hard the top paid constables work for their incomes. It's a shame the bad ones tarnish the good ones.