POLITICSHYPE: Only in San Francisco

Maybe I've been paying attention to the wrong things on the news lately. After all, there seems to be a raging war going on in the middle east. So imagine my surprise when I read a news piece about Theresa Sparks, the president of the San Francisco Police Commission. The title of this article is irrelevant to this discussion, because its substance was mostly about how, as a transgender woman, she's sensitive to the needs of that particular population.

Never mind the murder rate in San Francisco, it's apparently more important to Mr/s. Sparks to make sure the cops don't offend any transgendered people or unwittingly aid those who are transphobes. I guess those of us that don't have a spare thirty grand or so to get our plumbing changed in Thailand have different priorities. (maybe s/he had some sort of epiphany in Bangkok while there on R&R from the Vietnam war?) Another hilarious aspect to this only-in-San-Francisco story: Mr/s. Sparks is the current CEO of Good Vibrations.

Maybe the professionals who have been elected or appointed to their positions in San Francisco could focus on more pressing matters... or perhaps that's just too much to ask.

Mr/s. Sparks tells it like it is:

For a similar story, albeit a little more tongue-in-cheek, check out The Daily Hype's take on the priorities of the police in Santa Cruz.

DRUGHYPE: A Question of Priorities

What's a bigger danger to public safety in your neighborhood - teenagers selling large amounts of marijuana, or armed robbers? In Santa Cruz, California, law enforcement's attention is more on the latter. Perhaps you don't agree with their stance, but this is Santa Cruz after all. If you've ever been there you'll understand.

The best part is that the dope dealer called the cops to report that his stash was taken off of him, admitted that he was selling it, and he still didn't get arrested. The AP story is below.

Dealer Calls Cops After Pot Stash Stolen
(Copyright AP, 2007-09-07)

A marijuana dealer telephoned police after armed thieves stole his quarter-pound stash of pot. The 19-year-old Felton man told police that two men, one of them armed with a handgun, robbed him at gunpoint as he sat in his car on Tuesday night.

"It was unique to have people who were dealing drugs calling us when they've been ripped off," police spokesman Zach Friend said.

After the thieves made off with his stash, the dealer telephoned police. When police arrived, the dealer's story became progressively confused.

First he showed officers a medical marijuana card and told them he bought the pot at a medical marijuana dispensary. Then he said he got the pot from a friend. Eventually the dealer admitted he had arranged to sell the marijuana to the men who stole it from him, investigators said.

The Felton dealer wasn't arrested.

"From our standpoint, it's more important to address the fact there are individuals out there who are willing to use a weapon to commit robberies," Friend said.