Ron Sims former King County Executive
Earlier this year Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat called me at home. A portion of our discussion appeared in his column “Driving While Black”. We talked about a broad range of things including my various traffic stops including the newest one, my eighth. He was correct that I have been stopped seven times by the Seattle Police Department. I wasn’t speeding nor did I have an issue with my car, but if I had got a reckless driving ticket, I definitely would’ve found a lawyer to help me out with my case. But anyway, four stops occurred in my neighborhood; two on Beacon Hill, and one near the intersection of Rainier Avenue and Martin Luther King Way. I was never ticketed but was always asked, do you live in this neighborhood or where are you going? The eighth was an SPD officer who stopped me earlier this year for a headlight that was out.
There is more to tell. Up to this point I only shared with Cayan about the officers turning on a high beam lights in my face when I was walking home from work years ago. They were laughing and then turned them off. As a parent I am still irritated about the officer who stopped my kids on their way to football practice at Rainier Playfield. They were in their padded practice uniforms. The officer asked them where they were going? He also asked them did they live in the neighborhood? When my kids replied that they did, he told them that Black kids didn’t live in this particular neighborhood. I remember venting about this with Ron Sylve, who while in SPD spent hundreds of hours coaching football in South Seattle. He also co-founded with me the Paul Robeson awards for academic achievement. Young athletes in a variety of sports were given this trophy if they maintained a three point GPA throughout the year.
When I was on the panel to make a recommendation to Ed Murray, Seattle’s Mayor, for a new police chief, I told each candidate that I had been stopped by Seattle Officers seven times. No one questioned the racial implications of my statement. I wanted to alert them on the need for training.
I had also confided about the stops to some of the members of King County’s Intelligence team that provided the bulk of my security for my thirteen years as King County Executive. My security staff gave me the following advice; when stopped by the police in my car I needed to get the automobile registration out of the glove department and put it on the dashboard; take my drivers license and insurance card out of my wallet and put it on top of the dashboard; roll down the window and keep both of my hands on the steering wheel. If you’re stopped at night, do all of this after you’ve turned on the dome light. This is what I did earlier this year at my eighth stop.
Cayan and I drink lots of coffee and as do our houseguests. We have Starbuck’s pods for espressos or lattes. But my favorite is the Arabian Mocha Java that I get from PEETS Coffee across from Greenlake.
I was driving in the morning up to PEET’s coffee. We had run out of coffee and wished to avoid caffeine withdraws. As I pulled up to the stoplight at Rainer Avenue and Dearborn, I saw the blue and red lights come up behind me. A voice over the loud speaker said that I was not being stopped because I was speeding. I was being stopped because one of my headlights was out.
The officer ran my plates, then left his car and proceeded to my car. I gave him my car registration, driver’s license and insurance card. After he ran my driver’s license he returned. I kept saying to myself, why didn’t the officer just come up and tell me that I had a headlight out. After returning to my car he then asked me, with an authoritative voice, where are you going? I shook my head, I was in disbelief. I said with some firmness that I was going to get a cup of coffee. His last question was unprofessional. It wasn’t any of his doggone business what I was going to do next. As I was driving away I assumed he was a new and inexperienced officer who spoke in a calm straightforward manner. I also felt he had time on his hands and nothing better to do than to bother me.
I did consider switching to Xenon headlights instead of the standard halogens because I wondered if they might last longer, and you can get Xenons Online, but I eventually decided to leave that until a later time. Anyway, when I went to the auto supply shop to get my headlight the store manager struck up a conversation and asked me did I need two headlights. I told her that I needed only one. She said was your indicator light on? I told her No, that a police officer had stopped me and told me about the headlight. She said, you’re kidding! The man who installed the light also joined her, he was also in disbelief.
Cayan and I have individuals that are close to us that we consider very dear friends. Neither of us would want their jobs, they are law enforcement officers. A majority of officers serve the public quite well. They are professionals. They are also sports coaches, tutors, and volunteers doing amazing work in the community. And I believe that they would not hesitate to step between you and harm’s way. This is why I respect the work of police officers. Most of my experiences with police officers have been very good. Because of that I always thank them for their service.
Has being stopped by a police officer for no violation make me angry? Yes it does. It is very demeaning and it kind of hurts. Why me is what you say to yourself, why me? I didn’t deserve this! Even after all of these years it still seems so very an unfair price to pay. The stench of it seeps deep into your pores.
“Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.”
Langston Hughes, A Dream Deferred
My sister and I, both of whom read Ron Sims’ column in the Seattle Times, were sickened and horrified that police in our ‘liberal’ area would not have been trained beyond such horribly racist behavior. And, apart from his race (which of course is and was the issue) how is it that any knowledgeable person in this area would not immediately recognize Ron Sims? His stature here is timeless, his race is human!