Creative Policing

Officer John Mott apparently feels that the duties of law enforcement include protecting the citizenry from unpatriotic schoolchildren. According to a custodian at Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont, Mott used his authority as a uniformed, on-duty officer to gain access to the high school at 1:30 a.m. He then asked to be let into the classroom of Tom Treece, a history teacher and vocal pacifist. Mott took photos of supposedly incriminating school projects, most notably a poster of President Bush with duct tape over his mouth and a large papier-m?ch? combat boot stuffed with an American flag and stepping on a doll. In defense of his actions, Mott says, "I wanted everybody else to see what was in that room. You can't explain it."