CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Police in west St. Louis County are turning to humor to get the attention of the people they serve.
Chesterfield Police Sgt. Keith Rider crafted three haikus that tell the story of a car break-in, hoping to make people laugh and listen.
"Everybody does it. I do it sometimes, leave something in the car that you forget about, so we wanted to get that out there just to get it on the front of people's brains,” Rider said.
He wrote:
Sun shines through the glass
Purse lay open on the seat
I see valuables
Glistening on the floorboard
Wallet full of cash
Cash I will want for myself
The poetry just might be working.
"It's kind of an effective way it gets your mind rolling and makes you ponder on it and think about it,” Erin Halbert said after she saw the poems.
Ballwin police also produced a parody video of a crook breaking into car to communicate a similar message.
"On the times we can be a little more human, we try to do that,” Rider said.
