A few days ago I was driving down E.D. Nixon Avenue (formerly Goode Street) in Montgomery, Alabama when I noticed someone stealing light fixtures from Bellingrath Junior High School football field. I immediately called 911. I gave the 911 dispatcher a description of the thief as well as his tag number. Within one hour the Montgomery Police had apprehended the suspect as he left the recycling plant on Mobile highway. 

I received a call from the Police Officers that they needed me to make a positive identification of the suspect. I was told to meet them at the plant. I agreed to meet them. Before I left to meet the police I decided to pick up my daughter, Alexis and let her get a lesson in Civics. I wanted her to see what was involved in catching a thief. 

When we arrived at the plant the suspect was sitting in the back of the police car. He appeared very nervous. I told the officer that the suspect was the one that I witnessed stealing the light fixtures from the football field. I was told that the fixtures were worth $9000.00. The suspect would be charged with Theft I. He is facing some serious jail time. 

After I made a positive identification of the suspect I heard a lady around the corner saying: “I did not know what was going on. He is my neighbor and he just asked me to drive him around the corner to pick something up. When we got to the school and he started putting those lights in the back of my car I said “Lord have mercy who gave you all this stuff” I promise you I did not know what was going on! Lord have mercy!” The police did not arrest the lady that drove the suspect. I guess they bought her story. If I recall correctly the person that was driving the car was sitting real low down in the seat so much so I could not tell if it was a man or a woman.

The police officer asked me to go down to the police station to give a statement. By this time I had already spent one hour and a half dealing with this matter. I agreed to go. When Alexis and I arrived at Police Headquarters I saw my friend Art Baylor the Police Chief standing outside talking to another officer. I spoke and quickly informed him that I was there as a witness to a crime. He already knew what was happening. When we entered the station I jokingly asked the officer behind the window if she would arrest Alexis. She smiled and said no. Alexis looked at me as though I had lost my mind.

The detective escorted us to the interview room where he asked me to give a statement. The suspect was in a holding area  in the room. We never made eye contact. By now I had spent over two hours dealing with this matter. Alexis and I both were getting exhausted. 

Finally we were able to leave the police station. As we were driving home Alexis looked at me and asked: “What happened to keeping your mouth shut?” She reminded me of what I had told her earlier when she was in kindergarten about tattling. I had to explain to her that I was not tattling but being a good citizen. She said “Yeah right!” 

I explained to Alexis that there are times when a citizen has a moral obligation to report a crime to police. She asked me if I was required by law to report the crime and I told her no. It is true that in our country people don’t have to report crimes (at least until they are subpoenaed to do so); legal duties to report are required of some professionals. 

The following day I received a call from Mike Briddell, Mayor Bobby Bright’s Executive Assistant. He informed me that he had read in the Police reports that I had witnessed a crime. He congratulated me on being a good citizen. We caught up on some old times and shared a few laughs. 

My obligation to report the crime was a moral one. I have an interest in keeping our neighborhoods crime free. If more citizens would get involved we would have safer neighborhoods. Alexis then asked me: “So what happened to the secret witness program?” 

In the words of my dad, “If these gas prices get any higher I am going to buy me a horse!”