Wow, sounds like you can save quite a bit of cash doing it the hard way!
Cops are supposed to help to support the local small business man... Not punish them! Maybe you might have fixed or installed something for some of them at some point in the past and maybe they might recognize you and sign off simply because they liked your work?
Otherwise, your bound to befriend them at some point even if just by accident.
Ha the last encounter I had with my local police department they were arresting me. Its been over a decade though so I doubt they remember me. On the other hand I'm currently doing a job for a cop in a different area, who oddly enough came down the referral tree from a crack dealer.