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City Hall175 East 200 NorthSt. George, UT 84770(435) 627-4000
| November 21, 2009 |
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Change: Often a Hard Sell Recently, Sgt. Moss wrote an article on individual responsibility. It was a very good article. Will it change anyone's behavior? I hope so. But I talk with officers about safety topics all the time and they keep seeing the same things over and over. Nothing will change in this town unless it starts within the minds of individuals. The group is only the sum of all of it's parts, and if those parts don't change, neither will the group as a whole. What do we see time and time again?
Most of you will now say "Well, DUH!" Sounds like common sense, doesn't it? Like everyone should know these things by now. We have been beating these drums for years, yet we respond on the same types of calls day in and day out. Why? At safety town I watched with interest as a father led his daughter across the street despite her objections that they go to the corner. At 4th of July, I asked a little boy about 4 years old to tell me what red paint meant. "It means you don't park here." I asked him to explain it to his father who was arguing with me. I took a report from an elderly lady who had been burglarized 3 times over several years and she told me "If they need it more than I do, they can have it." (No, I'm not going to tell you her address.) I was talking to a friend in a church parking lot as the people were leaving about the rising number of vehicle burglaries and auto "accidents". I mentioned one of my pet peeves (kids standing up unbuckled in a car) and mentioned that people even let their kids ride on their laps and "steer" the car. The friend pointed to a car that was leaving and said "do you mean like that?" The 2 year old was on mom's lap with both hands on the wheel. Of course "it is only two blocks to home." Of course "nothing will happen and it will be alright." And "didn't you ever do that as a new father?" We've heard all the excuses, and that's what they are, excuses for our neglect when we are "caught" with our hand in the cookie jar. The crashes will keep mounting, the vehicle burgs will continue to rise in spite of all the reasons or excuses in the world. Now I understand that there are many good examples and that I am dwelling on the negative here, but I must in order to illustrate the point that we must begin to make a change within ourselves if we expect to make any difference in society. There is more that can be done by more people. We don't need to set out to change the world, we just need to change the one little part of it that we have control over: ourselves. Lock up ALL THE TIME. Buckle up ALL THE TIME. Have kids in car seats ALL THE TIME. Don't worry about these things, don't give excuses for these things, just do it. If you ask any police officer why he or she chose this line of work, they will say that they wanted to make a difference, to help people. We are paid to try to make a difference. We are paid to tell you these things to try to influence you to change your behavior. We really care and pay is not the motivation. We can only try to influence those who are willing to make a change. Don't shoot the messenger. Don't avoid us in public places. Don't look the other way when we pass. Rather, tell the officer thanks and then tell them how you are going to change one little habit. Start TODAY! Craig Harding Public Information Officer St. George Police Department |
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