Lopez to City Council: "Say hello to my little friend!"

You know, I blame myself for this one. I made a wisecrack on Monday's BCR about City Council meetings being the best free entertainment in town. Karma is, well, you know.

I didn't exactly have this in mind. Just when I thought I'd seen everything at a City Council meeting:

Yes, that's right. We now have a miniature D.P.D. police car able to be driven around via remote control, flashing lights and everything -- down to blinking eyes on the windshield. Even the Durham Police Department logo is easily visible on the side of the car.

As it drove around through the City Council chamber, the theme to the "COPS" TV show was playing in the background.  I could not tell whether it was emanating from the mini-car or from a stereo in the room. I really hope the latter -- the idea of a Barbie's First Jeep-sized police car blaring out "Bad Boys" is just too laughable to even contemplate effectiveness.  ("Hey, at risk middle schoolers! Commit a crime and do the time... when My First Patrol Car gets you!")

In any case, we can't let this one go without addressing the top five reasons for the roll-out of the D.P.D. Micro-Machines edition:

5. Overheard at DPD HQ: "Damn, gas is expensive. What if we go for something ... smaller?"

4. Verne Troyer (of Austin Powers "Mini-Me" fame) has signed on as a DPD officer and needed an appropriately-sized car. Troyer was considered for a bicycle patrol position, but a DPD Hot Wheels car wasn't on the State of North Carolina procurement pick list.

3. Just small enough to fit inside one of the mysterious 25-pound packages of marijuana that have, bizarrely and inexplicably, been shipped to local college students' addresses recently. Now ya get proof that the kid opened the misaddressed package, see? See?

2. You don't need to stick a "Durham Pace Car" on the back of this sucker to create in-flow traffic calming on our streets. Just unleash this bad boy on Roxboro/Mangum. 3 MPH for everyone!

And finally...

1. Contingency planning for an unfortunate outcome to the LAX case. Hey, it's no Crown Vic Police Interceptor, but it's much, much cheaper.

Comments

[cw]

In the words of a famous figure in my field (addressing the speaker after a lecture): "I have just one question, was that a joke?" Seriously, what is the purpose of this vehicle? Is it really meant to be driven around the city? If so, what a monumental waste of time and money. Perhaps the DPD should spend less time playing with toys and more time dealing with criminals molesting society while out on bail.

[Bull City Rising]

cw: I was being facetious about the car being driven around the city on the streets; it looks like an indoor crime fightin' tool. Make that crime *prevention* - it was pitched as a tool for outreach to kids and presumably schools.

Still, I'm interested to see what folks' reactions will be to this...

[Fiddlin' Nero]

bread and circus

[NS]

Maybe I am wrong... but I not know we had a problem with the under tween set committing crimes in our fair bull city.

Does my first police car also come with a friend "My First Foster Bed" so that when you call the police on mommy and daddy you get to sleep over with its friend?

[Ginny]

I think I may be able to top this (or at least tie). One of my former co-workers at the Island Packet on Hilton Head Island sent me this link to an article he recently wrote about two dogs walking into a county council meeting. It's especially funny if you're familiar with the town where the meeting was held, Bluffton, SC, where it's very laid-back.

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/427316.html

[Ginny]

I think I may be able to top this (or at least tie). One of my former co-workers at the Island Packet on Hilton Head Island sent me this link to an article he recently wrote about two dogs walking into a county council meeting. It's especially funny if you're familiar with the town where the meeting was held, Bluffton, SC, where it's very laid-back.

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/427316.html

[susan]

I had to sit through that and, Yes, "Bad Boys" was coming from the car itself. It took them forever!! to get the car back out of the council room. While several council members tried hard not to burst out laughing. Seriously, though. (LOL) I assume this is some kind of "Officer Friendly" stunt to encourage kids to see cops as helpful and fun. Yes, Council Meetings are always entertaining.