Re: [Harp-L] Re: Police & Musicians

[BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 2/5/2007 11:13:55 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  gary@xxxxxx 
writes:
 
         Gary you make a good point  here. I have come in contact with a 
District Atty. that's a blues lover and a  very good guy too. By the way have you 
ever heard the J Geils tune the Funky  Judge? I think it's in C played with an 
F harp. It's been since  the 70's the last time I jammed to it so my memory 
is kinda foggy. Georgie  Jessel does the voice over of the judge for them. 
Sounds kinda like your what  they had in mind when they wrote it. 
         Randy

As a  Magistrate for the city, I hold probable cause hearings all day 
long and  have many officers testify.  I keep an acoustic guitar on a 
stand  next to me, and 3 harmonicas on my desk.  During lulls in 
action,  I'll practice my harps or guitar.
Many officers, before a hearing  commences, look at the guitar and 
say, "May I?", then pick it up and  stumble through the opening of 
Stairway to Heaven, or a blues riff, or  whatever.  My point is, many 
of my officers play an instrument, and I  detect no bias at all 
against musicians.
An officer, going out on a  call, has no idea who's a threat and who 
is not, and must  approach  any situation with safety foremost on 
their mind.   Everyone  they meet on a call is potentially a bad guy, 
but once they see you're a  "normal" person, who poses no threat to 
them or the public, they'll loosen  up a bit.
Understand the situation from their perspective, and contacts  with 
them will end up "friendlier."

Gary Cohen
Magistrate, City  of Mobile