When M. Reza Salami was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint last Saturday night he was asked to sit in the back of M. Osborne's squad car while the officer searched his car. There's nothing unusual about that act in the course of a search.
What was unusual was a sign between the front and back seat reading
"Jesus is your savior".
Salami was not amused seeing the sign in the Greensboro, South Carolina squad car. The slogan should not be allowed in a government owned police car. He complained both to Osbourne and his supervisor Sgt. J. Sipe.
Sipe stated that it was acceptable because it was Osbourne's beliefs. Sipe has it dead wrong though. With the separation of church and state signs such as the one in Osbourne's car are not allowed. Had he had it in his wallet for personal view that would be one thing, but by putting it out there for all that ride in the back seat of his squad car he has crossed the line.
Salami has reported the incident to Guilford County Sheriff's Office and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The man is a professor at N.C. A&T.
Sheriff BJ Barnes said Salami asked him to apologize for offending him.
"Personally, I hate that this gentleman was offended," Barnes said. "If he is offended by that, then he should choose to ignore it."
Barnes said his department doesn't have a formal policy on what their officers bring into their squad cars. He does support his team though on having anything that will bring comfort to them during their dangerous 12 hour shifts.
The front seat of a squad car though is government property and there are rules on that. Duke University law professor Erwin Chemerinsky says its the wrong place to promote one's religion.
"I think the law is pretty clear that that is not allowed," Chemerinsky said. "This is obviously endorsing a particular set of religious beliefs."
"The officer can put it on his front lawn ... but not in a police car that's used for county business," he said.
Barnes says that his sheriff employees are allowed to express their personal beliefs. The issue has never been a problem before.
"Religion has never been an issue for us," he said. "I wish this guy would put his energies toward something else."
Salami received a ticket for having an open container in his car.
