Thankfully, The White Plains PD is not the MTA PD

I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel now that I'm dealing with the White Plains Police Department (WPPD).

In my first (and thankfully only) run in with the MTA PD, I was met by 4 uniformed officers at Grand Central Station. These officers refused to listen to my side of the story and basically treated me quite badly. Although I had done nothing wrong, at the end of that encounter, I felt like a criminal. Even worse, I was now scared of this woman and the power that she had. If the police weren't going to listen to me then I was lost.

At the advice of a friend, last May, I sent a letter to the chief of the MTA PD asking for help. That letter remains unanswered.

During my most recent situation with the WPPD, the officer (I wish I knew his name) and I talked for about 20 minutes. He listened to my frustration and while I wasn't happy about having been met at the train station, I came away feeling that he had heard my side of the story and that his report would be fair.

On a Monday morning I mailed a letter to the chief of the WPPD. On Wednesday evening, I got a call from Lt. Kevin Christopher. I wasn't home but he left his office and cell phone numbers. I got to speak to him on Thursday and once again, I felt that someone had listened to me and was going to try to help.

At this point, it seems that everyone wants the same thing. The woman does not want to be anywhere near me, I don't want to be anywhere near her, and the PD would just as soon have the whole thing over and done with.

This case is far from the most important that the WPPD have to deal with. They didn't make me feel that way, however. They treated me like a human being. I understand that this woman's complaint is something they must investigate. They have to be sure that I'm not a criminal. At no point, however, did they treat me like one before investigating the matter.

If this all reads like a love letter to the WPPD, I can't help that. The MTA PD left me feeling scared and abused. The WPPD treated me fairly and that matters a lot.