Washington County Sheriff's Office

So, I am going to rant about my two encounters with the county sheriff's office, and if I am still upset when I am done blogging, I will probably write to the Sheriff himself and let him know how frustrating the service I received was!

Background #1: I have to get two fingerprinting cards done and sent into the South Dakota board of Nursing so I can be a camp nurse Aug 8-14 at Rushmore Music Camp (probably one of my favorite places in the world). I need to get it done ASAP so I can get the license in time to practice nursing at camp!

Anyway, I called on Wednesday to the closest town with a PD (ours doesn't have one) and the very nice woman who answered referred me to the county sheriff's office as they do digital fingerprinting which is way less messy and way cool, too :) I called there and the unfriendly woman who answered said "just come anytime 8:30-4:30 on a weekday. You have to live in our county." (Which I do). Done.

Background #2: My husband is out of the state all this week. Fingerprints have to be done this week or I may not get things to the BON in time for a license.

Yesterday, I drove the 20 minutes to Stillwater, braving a tornado watch and thunderstorms and heat index warning, to complete these cards. I strapped Libby into the Baby Bjorn, the other two kids ran along the sidewalk happy as could be and we entered the building. With officers behind bullet-proof glass. So comforting. I talked on the phone speaker to the officer who told me to take a seat and they'd be with me shortly to get the fingerprints done.

My kids somewhat patiently waited on the seats, for a good 5 minutes before they got antsy. 15 minutes after THAT he said over the speaker that the wait would be a "little longer" as all the sargeants are in a meeting and they are the ones that do them. I asked how MUCH longer and he said he didn't know--maybe an hour? I thanked him and said I'd come back tomorrow (today). He apologized and I said "no worries, it's not your fault!"

Fast forward to today--we went to some garage sales in the town of the sheriff's office first, then Libby fell asleep in the car seat and we were out of garage sales--so we went over to get the fingerprint cards done.

The dude recognized me and told me to have a seat again. This time there were other (scary) people in the waiting room who had just posted bond for a guy convicted of a felony. Or something like that. They were talking about how he couldn't stay with his mom again because she is an adult foster provider and can't have convicted felons in her home or else she'd lose her ability to be a foster provider. GREAT. The four people talked about it, the bondsperson they were with told them it would be an hour til he was actually released, so they all left. Whew. Thankfully my children quietly sat in their seats and played with their toys and did not interact with the scary people.

Then a female officer came out and said "are you the one that needs fingerprints?" When I said yes she said "I don't know what those three little ones are going to do while you do that." I said "They need to come with me" and she just looked at me. She said "I guess they'll have to sit on seats in the office." My hackles started rising and I said "They are well behaved and will sit where I tell them to." "I guess they have to", she replied. So incredibly friendly.

Next she asked if I was a resident of Wa County and I told her where we live; she said "Do you have exact cash?" and I did--as I handed it to her she said "The sign over there says only exact cash." (I gave her exact cash, remember??) Next she needed my driver's license. I gave it to her--my Wyoming one--and she said "This does not say Lakeland. It says Wyoming. I need your Minnesota license." I told her I did not have one, as we just moved to our home two weeks ago. She gave a BIG sigh and said "I don't know if I can put you in the computer then." And waited. For me to produce a magic license, I am guessing...but I had nothing else. Finally she said "You can just TELL me your address, but it would have been better if you had a MN license. You need to take care of those things when you move, you know."

(Thanks for the free advice, Officer.)

She told me she'd be right back and a few minutes later she came back down the hall and said she was ready for me. I told Ryan and Brooklyn to sit, I turned on the Super Why game on my iPhone and went around the divider for the digital fingerprints. Just then, Libby started crying and Ryan said he had to pee. I asked him if he could hold it, and he said "yes" and he went to help Libby.

Then, the nice officer said "Why did you bring your kids? This would go faster without them." I said "I know, but their dad is out of the state this week." She looked at me and said "You could have even come at 4:30 without them." I said "Not with their dad out of the state FOR THE WEEK." She goes "oh. It's still not going to go very fast because of them."

Got it. Now I was really ticked at her. Ryan was helping Libby the best he could but she was crying because she was hungry, and Brooklyn was throwing a mini fit because she wanted the iPhone to "play" the game too. The woman said "You are so calm with your kids by asking them please and telling them thank you and guiding them on what to do. I am amazed at how patient you are--I would be yelling by now".

Thanks, lady.

Then the lady got all frustrated at me because the scans weren't going well and only getting around 75% clear. She did my left hand fingers 9 or 10 times EACH. In the middle of this Ryan says "I can't hold it mommy, I really need to go!" and started hopping around. The lady at this point could have stopped but she said "well honey, your mommy's fingers aren't being very nice to the computer and it will have to wait till she's done."

One scan later he started scream/crying and saying "MOM I AM PEEING IN MY UNDIES! I am SO SORRY! MY PEE!!!" I pulled my hand away from the woman who was STILL trying to scan my finger, and said "This will have to wait. I am taking him potty."

Poor guy. I took him to finish peeing and his shorts and undies were wet (not soaked, but wet) and he was so embarrassed for peeing his undies. When I went back, the officer was trying to get Libby to stop crying by getting right in her face and explaining the fingerprint process and why it was taking so long. Nice.

Ryan calmed down and the lady asked me to move Libby's car seat closer so "she could see Mama and stop crying so much". So compassionate. I gave Libby her silky and paci and Ryan rocked her while Brooke kept doing things to my phone (sorry if she accidentally called you) and the lady was getting fed up enough with my three children that she just started accepting the 60-75% scans and the Right hand she only scanned one time each finger.

As they were printing she asked me how old the kids were and I told her-she goes "Wow, are you going to have more?" I said I wasn't sure and she goes "Well, three is sure a lot. It wouldn't be any question in my mind."

Good thing I don't HAVE her mind. Her mean mind. If those fingerprints weren't required I would have left the second she said "Why did you bring THEM along?"

I know three kids age 4 and under are a handful and if I had my choice I would not have brought them to a sheriff's office while their mom was fingerprinted. I didn't HAVE a choice. And my children would have been better behaved if the woman had been a CARING person who heard my son say he had to go pee. And would have let me rock Libby a little more than just once so she calmed down more.

I am so frustrated at that woman and it has really soured my taste for my county law enforcement agency. I hope I never have to go back there again, all because of that one mean lady. And because she made Ryan pee in his undies and thought we were all a big inconvenience :(