LAKE COUNTY — Buckle up and slow down.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Matt Norton is watching. His 20/20 vision coupled with his peripheral abilities is akin to that old saying that everyone”s mother used to threaten: “Eyes in the back of his head.”
Prior to his career as a highway patrol officer, Norton was a Microsoft Systems engineer.
“I”m kind of a tech geek,” he said.
Norton said he stops people most often for speeding, driving under the influence and seatbelt violations. But he responds to a variety of calls, diverse in nature.
“Safety is my primary concern,” Norton said. “I would like to think that I can save lives.”
He approaches the drivers of each vehicle with an easygoing tone and ends most encounters with a smile and a handshake.
“I like to help people. I”m not here to ruin anyone”s day. I know times are tough and some people are distracted by issues such as unemployment, divorce, financial difficulties and a myriad of other factors,” he said. “I want to insure the safety of everybody on the road, including the driver who may be getting a ticket. Some people don”t realize that even in a slow speed crash, a seatbelt can save your life.”
Norton said the most common misconception about CHP officers” stops has to do with money.
“We (Clear Lake CHP office) do not get money from tickets. The CHP budget comes from vehicle registrations.”
He said there is not a quota either. “It is against the law to have a quota.”
As he maneuvers around vehicles and through intersections on Highway 20 en route to an overturned fuel truck crash, he points out perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of his job.
The majority of the vehicles on the road did not pull over to the side right away. Some drivers slammed on the brakes. Around a curve in Lucerne, a gray-haired, bearded man stumbled into the highway, stopped somewhere near the double-yellow lines and fixed his eyes on the patrol car with the lights flashing and siren screaming. He swayed a bit and shrugged his shoulders as he moved at a sloth”s pace. Norton explained that time is of the essence in emergency situations and any lost time can mean the difference between life and death.
Norton said his career can be best described with a commentary by Paul Harvey called, “What are policemen made of?” As follows:
“A Policeman is a composite of what all men are, mingling of a saint and sinner, dust and deity.
“Gulled statistics wave the fan over the stinkers, underscore instances of dishonesty and brutality because they are new. What they really mean is that they are exceptional, unusual, not commonplace.
“Buried under the frost is the fact: Less than one-half of one percent of policemen misfit the uniform. That”s a better average than you”d find among clergy.
“What is a policeman made of? He, of all men, is once the most needed and the most unwanted. He”s a strangely nameless creature who is “sir” to his face and “fuzz” to his back.
He must be such a diplomat that he can settle differences between individuals so that each will think he won.
“But, If the policeman is neat, he”s conceited; if he”s careless, he”s a bum. If he”s pleasant, he”s flirting; if not, he”s a grouch.
“He must make an instant decision, which would require months for a lawyer to make.
“If he hurries, he”s careless; if he”s deliberate, he”s lazy. He must be first to an accident and infallible with his diagnosis. He must be able to start breathing, stop bleeding, tie splints and above all, be sure the victim goes home without a limp. Or expect to be sued.
“The police officer must know every gun, draw on the run and hit where it doesn”t hurt. He must be able to whip two men twice his size and half his age without damaging his uniform and without being brutal. If you hit him, he”s a coward. If he hits you, he”s a bully.
“A policeman must know everything and not tell. He must know where all the sin is and not partake.
“A policeman must, from a single strand of hair, be able to describe the crime, the weapon and the criminal and tell you where the criminal is hiding.
“If he catches the criminal, he”s lucky; if he doesn”t, he”s a dunce. If he gets promoted, he has political pull; if he doesn”t, he”s a dullard. The policeman must chase a bum lead to a dead-end, stake out 10 nights to tag one witness who saw it happen, but refused to remember.
“The policeman must be a minister, a social worker, a diplomat, a tough guy and a gentleman.
“And, of course, he”d have to be genius, for he will have to feed a family on a policeman”s salary.”
