Gilbert Police Commendations
Made a Friend and Earned My Respect
On Friday, Jan 18, 2013, around 9:30 p.m., I was pulled over by a Gilbert Police Officer (Ofc. J. Saladen) Since he didn't cite me, and it was dark and I was scared out of my wits, I didn't see his name. He pulled me over for what could have been construed as multiple reasons, depending on how you look at things. Just to be clear, he didn't fudge or "let me get away with anything". I think he weighed the information and chose to believe me. That being said, I want to commend him, and perhaps the people that trained him to use common sense, courtesy, respect, and professionalism. He explained why he pulled me over and educated me on the law. I was pulled over for making an illegal U-turn - sort of. I did not actually make the U-turn, but turned left into what I thought was a neighborhood street, that turned out to be private property. It was pitch black at that exact location so it was an innocent mistake on my part. This story might sound long and convoluted, so I will skip to the end. The officer chose to use his instincts and common sense and believe me. I'm very grateful that it turned out the way it did. I'm thankful that he wasn't a bully and didn't try to show me how tough he was by giving me multiple citations that I honestly wouldn't have felt I deserved. He made a friend, earned my respect, and gave me even more faith in the Gilbert Police Department. Thank you. Please thank him. Respectfully, Donna Benson