Can a black man ask a cop a question in Pocatello? Idaho has an image problem, with some voices calling the area very racist.

To begin with, my experiences with the Pocatello Police department have been very good. The men and women I've interacted with have been honest and caring. A few have invited my family into their homes. I have worked on various committees with several PPD people. There are members of this organization who always receive a hug when I see them.

Former chief Ed Guthrie, now an Idaho State University faculty member, is an outstanding individual who went above and beyond the call of duty. One of the ways he did this was to make sure that any strain between Pocatello's black community and the department was immediately rectified.

Nonetheless, no organization is perfect, and with race relations back on the frontburner of the national dialogue due to the meteoric rise of Barack Obama, it is a good time to write about an exception to the patterns above.

Further, Idaho State Journal managing editor Ian Fennell, as well as a few of my fellow JHubians, have mentioned that they would like to hear more about my experiences.

For those who may not know, I am  black.

Here is the story:

There used to be a children's store in Old Town Pocatello called Jennifer's. You could sell or trade your used children's items to them. One day, I went to exchange some cute little dresses for my daughters, but could not find a space in front. So I drove around the corner and parked near the train overpass.

It wasn't clear if I had parked legally. But a Pocatello Police officer was sitting in his patrol car directly across the street. "That's convenient," I thought, "I'll just walk over and ask him."

When I reached a spot about ten feet from his vehicle, the officer quickly leaped out of his car, ran at me, and put his arm around me.

He stood with his side to mine.

I proceeded to ask him if I was parked legally. He told me that I was.

I remember what the officer looked like. He had what I would call division one (now BCS) defensive lineman size. He was very muscular, in the 6 foot tall range, and obviously was someone who worked out regularly. It was a Pocatello cop, not a Bannock County or Idaho State Police officer. He was white and had very short dark brown hair. He appeared to be in his twenties.

Interestingly, I have been training in behavioral intervention with adolescents. One of the first lessons we learned was why you should stand with your side toward an aggressive person. The trainer even had me kick him several times from the side, in front of the class. By doing this, he demonstrated how little power someone has when trying to attack you from the side.

So obviously, this Pocatello Police officer's behavior was designed to put himself in a safe position with reference to me.

In contrast, one damp evening I was driving near Route 22 in Scotch Plains, NJ. I have only been in Scotch Plains a few times, and needed directions. I saw a cop parked by the side of the road. I pulled in front of him, got out, and walked toward his car. The officer, who was black, waited until I was near his car. Remaining in his seat, the New Jersey cop simply turned on his interior light when I was close.

He then smiled and said, "what?"

I proceeded to ask that officer directions.

Heading back to Idaho:

1) Why was that Pocatello cop scared of me? It was a sunny day, and I am a local who was doing nothing unusual.

2) In his aggressive defensive posture, the officer put his arm around me. Isn't any unwanted touch considered battery according to Idaho code?

One might ask why I chose a public forum to address these issues without going to the Pocatello Police administration first.

Good question.

First, the incident was a while back, and I was mulling over whether to do anything about this at all, since the cop was not attacking me. He was defending himself.

The problem falls into that category of anxiety that ethnic minorities face on a regular basis.  We have to ask ourselves: "is this person acting this way because of some specific problem (like having a bad day or mistaken identity) or are they doing this because I am black (or hispanic/native american, etc.)."

So this is somewhat of a reflective research project. We are discussing perceptions that some local law enforcement officers may have toward the citizens -- a timeless topic. Anyone with the PPD is welcome to contact me or to join in. And of course, discussions like this one, regarding taxpayer-funded organizations, regularly take place in newspaper columns, letters to the editor, and blog entries.

It would also be more useful to show this entry to the PPD leaders after others have had a chance to weigh in on it.

Finally, that officer acted as a public official in a public setting. Rest assured, if I had put my arm around that cop, my name would have ended up in the Idaho State Journal.