The Valley Falls, Kansas police department is rethinking its decision to allow civilian volunteers to use police cruisers after the program almost immediately fell into hilarious misuse.
In an effort to foster a more relaxed relationship between kids and police officers, the Valley Falls PD started an auxiliary police program on April 25th, where civilian volunteers could go on patrol in police cruisers.
During a city council meeting on Wednesday, residents of the town decried what had been going on with the police cars since the program's start. WIBW 13 News reports the testament of local resident Lee Kahn.
He was turning the siren on and off, the headlights on an off, the flashers on and off, hit the airhorn a couple times. He floored it and he gunned it at maximum speed. I assumed it was a police officer so I came in to City Hall to file a written complaint, only to find out it wasn't even a police officer driving the car, that it was a civilian.
Angry residents said they saw another auxiliary member driving around with a young girl on his lap and others still were peeling out, racing with kids, and watching on as other drivers did burnouts.
WIBW 13 News reports that the Valley Falls mayor considered firing the police chief. That was likely a symbolic gesture, as the mayor immediately "reappointed" the chief who had never been fired.
The program was "tabled" in the Wednesday night city council meeting.
The moral of the story is that if you offer people the chance to drive around in cop cars, they basically act like the Blues Brothers. This should not come as a surprise to you, and why no one at Valley Falls PD expected cop car misuse is beyond me.
(Hat tip to Supercharger Heaven!)
Photo Credit: WIBW 13 News