Ana thank-you for allowing me to use your question as a blog.
Ana said...
Question: A new member of my veggie CSA is a city cop. Before I knew he was a cop, he questioned and doubted every "promise" we made for his season of veggies. He lied to get more convenient (for him) delivery arrangements. I felt bullied. Now that we've had many weeks of contact, he's mellowed--and paid in full-- and I'm no longer thinking I should tell him to take a hike.
Are cops more prone to be suspicious?
Yes, most cops are extremely suspicious. Remember who they deal with day-to-day. Just like Firemen who run into burning buildings when every other sane person is running out, cops are paid to approach and question people's actions. A cop’s suspiciousness can be fueled by training & experience, gut reaction, visual cues or fear.
Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) arrest bad people – both the public and they hold themselves to a higher standard. When questioning a victim of any type of fraud or scam, it’s easy to forget the general public experiences – for the most part – the more positive aspects of society. Where the public sees a golden opportunity a cop is looking for ‘the catch.’ Quietly and amongst themselves police often question how the victim fell for the , obvious to them, scam. One of the many reasons fueling: The Us vs Them mentality, but that’s the subject of another blog.
If you think people with law enforcement background are suspicious when ‘on the job’ that wary nature is double when they are spending their own hard earned money. The last thing a LEO wants is to be teased for having been ripped off.
When investing or entering into a business deal most cops investigate the company like they would a criminal organization. What type of group is it? Large or small? New organization? Well Established? How do they advertise? Word of mouth? Commercial Advertisements? And most importantly what is being promised.
Depending on the answers to the above questions a cop might worry that once he paid he might not receive his product.
The type of cop also factors into how paranoid or suspicious an officer might react. Are they a city cop? Large or small department? Patrol, Narcotics, Homicide or Sex Crimes?
Did you know, narcotics officers from the time they are baby narclings are taught to never ever Never Ever EVER ‘front their money’ (loosely translated: never give up your money until you have product in hand)? Yes, that phrase was targeted toward narcotics transactions. BUT, in my experience Narcotics officers hate to front their money – for anything.
Homicide cops investigate crimes where people are murdered over a pair of shoes. If a life is worth less than $150.00, what do you think someone would do for several hundred? Several thousand?
Police are even more suspicious of what they consider something too good to be true. One thing a cop would hate more than just about anything is being labeled a victim. When a LEO questions and doubts everything said, my guess would be the proposition seems too good to be true. (Ana in your case I would take that as a compliment about your product and prices.)
So is your LEO a jerk because he’s worried about being ‘taken.’ Is he a maverick type that goes for it, but has lots of contingency plans? Or is he someone unwilling to venture outside his/her comfort zone?
