I grew up believing that respect was a street best traveled in two directions. The Moorpark police, however, believe the road is best traveled in their direction only.

On a recent day in February, a cadet for the Moorpark police, having run the plate to one of our vehicles, decided it must be towed. Before the tow truck pulled away, we stopped and inquired as to the reason for the removal. The cadet determined, from the DMV computer, that the vehicle registration was not current. However, although the sticker was not on the plate, we had documentation to prove the vehicle's registration.

The DMV had erroneously sent the sticker to an incorrect out-of-state address.

This documentation was insufficient to the cadet and his supervisor, another deputy. In fact, they claimed that the DMV computers were always correct.

Furthermore, the county employees intimated that the documents presented, contravening the DMV printout, might be fraudulent.

Because of the rigid attitudes of these two county employees, we were saddled with a significant towing and impound bill. Believing ourselves to be unjustly treated by two police department employees who could have used discretion and given us the benefit of the doubt in the face of ambiguous information, we filed a formal complaint to the department.

We are not criminals, we don't commit fraud and we firmly believe that integrity is the bedrock foundation to character.

It is unfortunate that the department has taken this low road to illustrate that the road to respect is better traveled in their direction. Derrel and Marie Craig Moorpark