The Midlothian, IL Chief of Police thinks it’s appropriate for his officers to help local businesses collect private debts. Midlothian’s local mechanic, Merlin’s Muffler and Brake, performed $500 of work for Angela Proctor, who paid back all but $108 before falling into financial trouble. From The Star:

Last Monday though, Procter received a call from Lt. Harold Kaufman from the Midlothian police.

Procter said Kaufman told her if she didn’t pay, she could be subject to criminal charges.

“He didn’t say what I could be charged with if I didn’t pay. But I was so scared at the time, I didn’t think to ask,” she said.

Procter said Kaufman instructed her to get a cashier’s check and deliver it to him at the police department and he would take it to Merlin’s.

But after she got off the phone, Procter said she started to think something wasn’t right.

So she called the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office to get their input. She said she was told she should go and make payment directly to Merlin’s.

Procter has since paid her bill in full, but still resents the treatment from police and wonders if others have received similar calls.

Liz Weston points out that owing money is not a crime, and that threatening people with jail time for unpaid debts is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Lieutenant Kaufman politely declined to defend his actions, saying: “I’m not going to comment any further for a ridiculous newspaper article.”

Police as debt collectors? [The Star via Liz Weston and The Alabama Consumer Law Blog]
(Photo: Impactmedia)

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