Peace, Patience, and Protection
Last night was a crazy night. At three am I hear the door bell ringing like someone is laying on it. I am frustrated, but I throw on my robe and turn on my light and look out the window. The ringing stops, but I cant see who is at the door and they dont answer when I yell. My heart is pounding but after checking to make sure my roommate is home (she is), I decide it may be some kid or some drunk person and go get a drink from my bathroom to calm myself.
Then I hear someone trying to get into the back door, so I yell that I am going to call the police, and shut my bedroom door and dial 911. I tell them I have a protection order and I think someone may be trying to get into my house and I ask them to send a car to see.
Then I call a few friends just to process and calm myself down.
After I hang up I hear this loud crash and then someone tries to open the door to my actual apartment. I yell that I am calling the police and hear them run down the stairs.
I laid in bed awake for most of the night. In the morning I called one of my best friends Kathy to tell her I the story. I say “Oh I think some kids or some drunk was trying to play a joke”
But when leave the house I find my backdoor kicked in and the lock broke.
Ok, Not so much a joke.
So I go to the landlords and say “What happened last night” and my landlord replies that he has no idea what I am talking about.
I ask if anyone rang his doorbell and he said no. I tell him the events of last night and he comes and looks at the door with me.
I decide I need to call the police again and actually file a report.
The police comes and I show him my Ohio Protection Order. He says I need to show him my MN protection order and gives me the number of the domestic abuse people he works with so I can get a copy.
I call them and they say my Ohio PO is just as valid. And I am furious. Are you kidding me?! After all the drama of the past month?!
I go back to the officer and tell him what I just heard, and he said they are wrong. So I call the people when I am front of him and thenthe police man talks to them.
They tell him according to some law in 1994 PO are valid in all 50 states, US territories, and on Reservations. He says they are wrong and he is calling the DA to confirm this information.
At this point he gives me his direct line and promises he will find all this out and get back to me.
I HATE THE SYSTEM.
AND SOMEONE BROKE DOWN MY DAMN DOOR.
And it wasnt a robber because they didnt take anything or even try to take anything, because a cd player and other things were left in the stairwell untoched. And Robbers dont usually ring your bell and then still try to break in after they discover you are clearly home.
And agian… I HATE THIS SYSTEM.
The police office (who is my new favorite) does call me back. He tells me that my PO from Ohio was valid and I didnt need one from MN. He says almost no one knows this so the Cheof of police is going to send out a memo informing the rest of the police. And I control myself and dont yell. But in my head I am yelling.
GAH. STUPID STUPID STUPID SYSTEM WHERE NO ONE EVER KNOWS WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AND THEY JUST MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE. POLICE DONT KNOW< LAWYERS DONT KNOW AND I HATE EVERYONE. THANKS FOR GIVING MY EX MY ADDRESS YOU STUPID JERKS.
The officer is very nice and says to keep his direct line and gives me the DAs direct line. He says if I ever see my ex to call him and they will arrest him.
The good news is I finally found a friend and advacate in the stupid system. The bad news is my landlord is pissed, my door is broken, I never had to report my change of address, and I am still a little scared.
So… I could use prayers. For peace, and patience, and protection.
