To Protect and Serve

First of all let me say that I have the utmost respect for law enforcement. They do a job many of us would and could not. Some of them give their lives to try to keep some semblance of law and order on our streets. It's not my fault that I must add to their piles of work to do to file a police report for stolen checks. If I don't, I have no recourse with the payee's who want their money and have a piece of paper with a signature on it, even though it's not mine. Trust me if I could handle this without bothering anyone else, I would but.. it's sorta important to me that my good name be restored as well as my money. The following is my rant so that I can purge it and move on..

One morning I looked at my online account at the bank and noticed a check to Wal-Mart that I knew I had not written. I called Jim and verified he had not either. It was in my pending $111.67, and I noticed the check number looked odd.. out of order.. by a lot. I got my checkbook out and flipped through and found that two checks were missing from the BACK of my book of checks. PANIC. I called the bank and sure enough another check was 'out there' for $200 made payable to a person whose name I will not list because there's more than one of these people and I don't want to slander the innocent ones. Needless to say it is a person I don't know and come to find out the Wal-Mart check was written to a store in Little Rock at 7:22 AM on Monday morning when I was on my way to work with Jim in the car with me. Nope, we didn't forget that we ran to Little Rock ON THE WAY TO HOT SPRINGS.. this will be important information later.. trust me. The bank put a stop payment on the second check and asked that I fill out a police report so that they could turn the Wal-Mart over for fraud. Okay, can do!

Now. As an aside.. approximately two weeks prior to this our offices were moved to a new building utilizing labor from the county jail. Being a state facility, we frequently use inmates and/or those who need to perform community service. One of those persons lifted an IPOD from the purse of a co-worker and was caught on security camera.. so me being the CSI sleuth that I am... figured there MIGHT be a connection.. maybe? I went to the Hot Springs Police department...

"I need to fill out a police report for stolen checks."
"Where were they stolen from?"
"My purse.."
"What town?"
"Well I have a suspicion but I can't be certain, I didn't see it happen."
"You need to file it in the town where you live."
"I live in Bismarck.. so I need to file it with Hot Spring County?"
"Yes."
"But I'm almost certain that this convict person probably took them..at work..here in town.."
"But you can't be sure so you need to file it with HS County, in Malvern."

So I am disappointed but drive to Malvern...and this is perhaps my favorite part of the ordeal..

"I need to file a police report for stolen checks."
"Uh huh. What happened?"
Here, I reiterate the story, and he walks along with me toward his office, as if interested.. then sits down and picks up a paper bag.
"These are hot checks and stolen checks.. it'll go in this bag.. they are mostly never pursued. The prosecutors don't want them cause the person will just say you gave them the checks then it's your word against theirs.."
"But I didn't sign them.."
He just nods then taps his desk and sits back, "So.. where did this happen?"
Here we go again.. I repeat the story.. I guess this is where he looks for discrepancies in what I've said then he nods again. "You'll need to go to Little Rock, where the check was written to Wal-Mart, that's where the fraud took place."
"Little Rock??"
"Yes. And let me warn you, they aren't very helpful...you'll need find out which store then find out which station has that jurisdiction.. then they'll send you all over the place anyway." Like today...
Now at this point I'm nearly a little teary but I take a breath and nod, "Ok..." then stand up to leave and he walks me out..favorite part coming up...

"So, you have kids?"
"Yes sir, 2 boys."
"Ahhhh. That's probably what has happened.."
"Excuse me?"
"Kids.. they do stuff.."
"My boys wouldn..."
"Yes they would, they do it all the time.. I'll bet you'll find.."
"No, they weren't even IN TOWN.. "
"How old?"
"13 and 16..and neither of them have a car or a means of getting to LITTLE ROCK nor do they know how to write checks and they wouldn't do that."
"Oh well.. maybe not.."

I leave..angry. But. I am kinda sharp.. so I go to the bank and get a copy of the check that was written to the GIRL.. which was sent to my bank for processing, making the point of fraud IN MALVERN. Hah! Take that! I call the guy back... explain.. and then...

"Yes, I have a copy of the check now, the second one, sent to my bank.. can I file this here?"
"Yes, you need to talk to a deputy, however, and will need to go to Bismarck to the east end office. Now ma'am.. are you supposed to be working today?"
"Yes..."
"Why don't you go to work, then afterwards, go to the Bismarck office and take care of this."
"Well you see.. I just want a police report so that my bank will give me my money back. I know I should care if the person is caught but frankly at this point, I don't. I will be going to Bismarck, now."
"Okay.. I'll radio ahead and let him know."

I arrive but alas, no one is there. He only checks in now and again..it's best to make an appointment through dispatch.. IN MALVERN. So I step outside and call dispatch.. he's out getting his car worked on..but they'll patch me to the deputy himself so I can make an appointment.

By now I am almost weak sounding from having been passed around.. and I tell him what I need and he says...

"Well I can just take it over the phone.."
"Wait..what? You can? Don't you need the check copies and all?"
"Well ma'am if you just want to sit with me and tell me your story I'll be happy to meet with you but I can do it over the phone"
"No no..phone is fine.. I need the copy for the bank.."
"Well you can get that in three days.."
"Three days? But.. my bank needs it.."
"Sorry ma'am, someone has to approve it after I enter it, three days.. I'll call you back with the report number tomorrow at the lastest."

Well he never called and my bank took pity on me and let me sign a letter and an affidavit stating the checks were stolen and gave me my money back. Now.. fast forward 2 weeks.. I get a letter from Telecheck.. the folks who take care of Wal-Mart's electronic checking..they want their money.. because my check was bad.. IT WASN'T BAD IT WAS STOLEN! So, I have to go to their website, download a zillion forms and get them notarized and fax them with a copy of mine and Jim's DL and a copy of the police report. THE police report. So I call the police station, yep, they have it, bring 10$ and I can have it.. 10$.. fine. I go get it, get all my stuff, go to the notary who takes pity and doesn't charge me, or it would have cost me $25 MORE to get MY MONEY back and clear my good name.

I just faxed it all.. and to be honest, I feel like I've just given my life away as their affidavit form requires my routing number, account number, DL copy, address, phone.. have I been bamboozled? Well even if they are legit.. I have been. I'm the victim here. If I were a criminal I'd have fifteen different groups of people running to my aid to make sure I was treated right, given all that I need.. possibly even given free legal services.. but no.. I am robbed and it costs me yet more to rectify the situation.. I'll update if and when it actually is fixed, until then my name is no good in ALL MERCHANTS where Telecheck is used. Thank you, legal system.