kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ed9cc47f-da34-405c-a679-9591ada281dc

It all surrounds a patrol car, which carried a message some found offensive. The car decal said, "We'll Kick Your Ass".

It is the kind of stunt that could have quickly been put to rest.

Instead it has prompted a flood of editorial letters to the Bakersfield Californian with mixed reviews on what the sticker said.

There is still plenty of controversy over how the sheriff handled it.

It is not the act that gets you in trouble, but whether or not it is a cover-up.

There may or may not be a cover-up in this case, but there are a lot of different versions of what really went down, who gave the order, and why it happened in the first place.

On September 26, 2003 KGET 17 received an email containing a picture of a Kern County Sheriff's patrol car with an official looking sticker on the side reading... "We'll Kick Your Ass".

When contacted for an explanation, Sheriff Mack Wimbish told us he didn't have anything to do with it but that when he saw the decals he found out who was responsible and had them reprimanded.

KGET 17 news aired no story at that time.

Fast-forward to last week, KGET 17 asked Wimbish and his Assistant Sheriff Mike Lafave who ordered the decals made?

We were told it was a sergeant in charge of vehicles, but that the sergeant cannot remember who told him to do it, only that he remembers it was not the sheriff.

Now on to Tuesday, Assistant Sheriff Mike Lafave contacted KGET 17 and claimed, the sergeant now remembers, that it was the commander in charge of vehicles who told the sergeant below him to make up the stickers and have them placed on two cars.

Commander Chris Davis spoke out for the first time Wednesday. He is the commander in charge of that sergeant.

According to everyone involved, even Cmdr. Davis, there never was a direct order to pull off this gag.

“Basically when a supervisor says I like this, we do it,” said Cmdr. Davis. “Perhaps he didn't realize the power he has as sheriff with a few words”

So what is the controversy over?

For the Californian it is because the sheriff claimed he knew nothing about the signs and that he thought they were doctored photos, when he now admits he knew they were stickers.

The paper's executive editor is standing behind his reporters work.

For the public, it may be that the sheriff and assistant sheriff are blaming a commander who speaking publicly at some risk says they are wrong.

“Something that started out as a cop joke in house, ends up hurting a lot,” said Cmdr. Davis.

One thing is for sure, The sheriff admits this was his idea in a way, because he walked around the department showing off a magazine drawing of a similar gag and said he thought it was funny.

It may be another ill-fated example of a relatively new sheriff trying to win over his reluctant command staff, nearly all of whom supported Wimbish's challenger in the election.

Department insiders describe Wimbish as the odd man out, he may just be trying to fit in, with a little locker-room humor and cop-shop shenanigans.

Just a few months ago, he said as much when we asked about his new mustache.

“I looked around the table and all my command staff had mustaches,” said Wimbish, “So I thought I'd try one.”

There also was another car with odd stickers. A K-9 unit. It said "We'll bite your ass"
I know the guys father whose car that was. Pretty funny if ya ask me. No one has a sense of hummor anymore

I dont find it funny at all.... They are supposed to be public servants...not JBT's. That is the kind of mentality - philosophy that  should not be welcomed.
So, did you think the songs "Cop Killer" and "Fuck da Police" were funny too?  come on...where's your sense of humor.....



Davidians....We'll kick your ass"

Randy Weaver...we won't kick your ass, But we'll kill your wife and son"

....

Ha ha, funny sticker.....Who paid for this BS?



-HS

IBTL

This PC stuff is killing our nation, we are turning into a nation of humorless whiners/bitches/complainers.

They put the stickers on and took the picture then took them off. Its not like they went around town with it. Havent you told a buddy that you were gonna kick his ass? just to mess aorund with him. These guys are humans too, they have a sense of humor. They didnt go out and kick someones ass because the sticker made them

Haha. He said shenanigans.
Meow...

Way back in the late 70's or early 80's, a St. Louis cop went to Florida on vacation, caught a few 4 & 5ft sharks, and brought 'em back to St. Louis with him. He went to a decal shop and had a couple of very official-looking decals made to put on his Nova-the same model Nova that STL cops used at the time-that read, "CITY OF ST. LOUIS SHARK PATROL" and he parked by River Des Peres (a waste and flood control canal) and when questioned by passers-by, would open up the trunk and show the sharks "That swam up the Mississippi River and we have to keep an eye out for them". He did this, while still on vacation and wearing his patrol uniform. Fooled the shit out of a bunch of people.
When the gig was revealed, everyone has a good laugh about it. None of this "shit hits the fan" stuff over a joke perped by a cop.
My, how things have changed.

I think it's funny as hell, particularly since they didn't ride around town with it on the side. OTOH, if I were the sheriff's insurance carrier, I'd have a stroke.

I can't remember where it was, but a while ago a deputy had a vanity plate with 'GLOCKEM' on his personal vehicle.  Apparently the department issues G22s.  A citizen says that she looked up 'Glock', found out what it means and complained to the sheriff.  Despite some light media pressure, the sheriff defended the deputy, saying that what he put on his personal vehicle is his own business.

Hell, I never met an on duty cop with a sense of humor.

Well, the first Serrifs deputy to pull me over was at least polite.

[lol]
Now I gotta go watch that again.

I work with police officers all the time.  They're usually pulling some OT doing a traffic detail for one of my crews.  I often show up with a shitload of Dunkin Donuts coffee for the guys, when I wave the officer over, he grabs a coffee, he and I shoot the shit for an hour.

Cops are very easy to get along with, just gotta respect the position they have to take while on duty.  Provided you're not on the recieving end of the law, cops are very easy to get along with.  If you're getting dealt with by Robocop, chances are you did something stupid and you're a walking liability, OR, you're simply a piece of shit, and probably deserve to have your 'ass kicked.'

But goddam, our society is turning (if it's not already too late) into a bunch of spineless pussies.

I wish my hometown police officers would decal their cars to say:

"Don't make me shoot you"

It'd probably curb half of the problems in Southern Maine.

I don't think that everyone has lost their sense of humer; but I do think that people are tired of the LEOS who act like JBTs and run around killing peoples dogs and such and shooting poeople in the face after a bothched traffic stop then claiming it was done in the name of safety so the officer could 'go home safe that night'. (don't ask for links You all have read the stories!!)

The bottom line is people are tired of the double standard that is used when judging the actions of the average citizen and those of LEOs, so any time 'Joe Public' can turn the 'screws' a little tighter on the local magistrate they do. So sadly the "Fuck us/Fuck them" attitude prevails. And rightly so imho.

That's about the funniest fucking thing I think I've ever seen.

Even if they DID take a spin around town with it, [rofl2]...come on!!!

I find it mildly amusing.

Funny and why not?  It's the truth but do agree the insurance guy will have a heart attack.

Tj

[img]http://hegecountry.com/images/HEGE%20LAW%20TYPE.jpg[/img]

AMEN BROTHER! ....oops, oh shit I said amen, now I've pissed of the religious PC's. DANG!!!!

this is the "tough guy cruiser" that the sheriff in the above picture drove (before he got removed from office)

[img]http://hegecountry.com/images/NEW_SPIDER_CAR_WITH_FLAMES_410HP.jpg[/img]

attitude running amok is rarely a good thing...

I think it is funny  [ROFL] I also think that when neccessary  cops should [b]kick more ass.[/b]

If you are a F--- up  you should get a swift kick in the ass!

IMHO .... theprofessor

I suppose that the idea of due process and constitutional rights aren't in vogue anymore, huh?

...looks like the cover of a new Village People CD.

It is very unfortunate that the only contact the majority of people have with law enforcement is negative.

I wonder if they would think it's as funny as a "We beat the crap out of cops" on a Hells Angels bike.

jd1  

Boy I cant wait till some of the drug dealers complain about El Paso PD's new Crown Vics that all say


"Your Drug Money At Work"

All their new cars were bought and piad for with confiscated drug money

This would be mildly funny if it weren't for the issues that have arizen from the idea that LEO's aren't civilians.  Some in the community think that they are not civilians...that they are somehow above the common folk (not all, probably not even most.  I said some).  In that context I do not find any humor in the idea that an LEO is not portraying themselves as public servants, rather jack booted thugs.  

...no lack of sense of humor or being PC.  Just more unhealthy attitudes from a community that has gotten some black eyes in the past for excessive violence in several specific instances.