So I'm on the Yakima Police Watch List Options

[Coomer]

I just got a call from my boss(not my immediate one but the one right under the CEO), and he's angry because the cops called him at 1AM last night and woke him up "because there's this very suspicious yellow car that just parked and some kid went into the building."

I have a key and a security code to the building, and they let me come to my office whenever I want so I can work on stuff. But now he's mad, because he thinks I was doing something suspicious, but all I did was drive normally, park, unlock, and go inside.

My boss went on to say that the officer was in an unmarked car and the officer mentioned that my car was on their watch list and being watched because of suspicious behavior!

This is straight-up ridiculous. I don't know what to do...I'm a good kid and I don't have a bad driving record and they have no reason whatsoever to put me on their watch list...I bet that's why I'm pulled over every other week too.

I dunno what to do...filing a complaint will only make things worse I'm sure.

[Batman722]

You are on the watch list ? Don't worry about it.

You have some options IMO

1 - move to another town
2 - sell the Celica and get something else
3 - talk to the police about it <- dumb IMO, you would probably come off as arrogant (some 17 year old telling cops how to do their job) and do you really think the police are gonna be like " OK, he talked to us, cross him off the list " <-
4 - don't worry about it - **if you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about**

Coomy, just let it ride and don't worry about it.

[Galcobar]

If my boss is getting calls at 1 a.m. I'd worry about it.

Make sure you've got the details from your boss down exactly -- to the minute if you can. Write it up in a letter and send a POLITE enquiry to the police asking why an officer is calling your business associates in the middle of the night. Ask them to clearly specify why your car is on the watch list, what that actually means, and how that led to your boss being called because you went in to work.

As long as you put it on a business footing, they'll have a lot harder time brushing you off. You're not complaining because the police are irritating you, you're complaining because they're hampering your legitimate business activities. Don't actually say that, but keep the tone of the letter businesslike and the focus on how it is affecting your employment. That elevates you from a pain in the ass kid to a taxpayer. And taxpayers get political attention.

e.g. "It is one thing to be pulled over while driving, it is another to have your supervisor asking why the police are interested in you. My position requires a significant level of trust, one that is being endangered by 1 a.m. phone calls to company executives and statements that I am on a police watch list."

It may not take you off their watch list -- probably won't, in fact. That's okay, you've lived with police scrutiny on the road. However, a polite letter asking for an explanation -- not making accusations -- will probably get them to back off on calling your company. At the least, they might add a note to your file that says he works at ...... and not to worry if your car is parked there.