Mr. Police Man

Surgery

2012-01-25T23:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back out of work. 4850 time (that's paid injured status) has run out and I'm now on Temporary Total Disability. This hurts some because I'm the sole bread winner in my home.

C5-6 Cervical Fusion

I'm sitting the pine at home because I had another neck surgery. So now I have 8 screws, 1 plate, 2 rods, 2 bone grafts and 1 metal wire to correct the injury.

For a while I kept saying the cool thing was I have Peyton Manning's neck Dr. Now, he is just my Dr. and I'm done with this pain. Can't wait for it to end.

Challenge Coins Cont...

2012-01-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for schooling me on these coins and how they are used.

I'm a police patch collector, only trading with current or retired guys. Only one I purchased was my own department's hard to find patch. Besides that I have a cool Florida FBI patch and even a police patch from Saddam Hussein police force.

So now I'd really like to have a special coin. My department doesn't do the coin thing but I'd be honored to get a special coin.

Military/Governmental Challenge Coins

2012-01-02T00:39:00.000-08:00

I watched a movie once where some hot shot threw down a 4 star generals coins which trumped everyone else and drinks were bought for him. From my understanding, its a privilege to get a "coin" from someone high up, but is this belief true?

I found coins like these or this and wondered if this was what they were talking about?

Also, is it only for military personnel or when I meat the President of the United States, can I just ask for his and maybe I'll get it?

I was about...

2011-12-28T23:31:00.000-08:00

Was about to write how my management is all about "lunches" with injured officers and love putting out this officer is at this hospital or is going through that but no one has contacted me.

Then, yesterday morning I wake up to the phone ringing. My wife is already up with the kids and is trying to let me get some neck pain disturbed sleep. ;)

She comes in and hands the phone to me. It was my CHIEF. He checked on me, wanted to know the prognosis and we hung up after that. So, I can't say all bad things.

My Neck Surgery

2011-12-24T01:39:00.000-08:00

OUCH! Much more of an OUCH than the last fusion at the same spot a year ago.
Anterior 2010 vs. Posterior 2011

Everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at me to fix my cervical disk issue.
1) Bone graft
2) 4 screws
3) 2 rods
4) Metal wire

New California 2012 Laws

2011-12-19T23:39:00.001-08:00

1) Open carry of a handgun is now illegal

2) The 6yr old or 60lbs for child seats has changed to:
*** 8yrs old or 4'9"

Foot Pursuit

2011-12-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated lately but I'm due to have another neck surgery (fusion) next week. Having that said, I've been working the street but nothing to gung ho. So, the other morning as my crew clears day shift briefing my zone partner and I are cleared for a call of a person sleeping in a car. I hate to say that this is normally my Chick-fil-a breakfast time but it was. I wasn't feeling all that hungry and kinda wanted to get in the mood to work so I cancelled my back and told him to go eat. -- My partner's story, amateur UFC fighter.

So I roll up to this distinctive car and find a single male occupant in the car. Long story short I pull him out and start searching. Heroin found in his pocket and just as I pull the handcuffs out the chase was on. My bad for not taking him off balance. My bad for not calling for a backup officer.

So the foot pursuit is on and I'm a handful of steps behind. Now remind you, I've had spine surgery almost exactly one year ago and two significant knee surgeries in the past year. About 15 steps into the chase my duty belt gets real light and then.... clunk clunk clunk.

I'm putting the suspect description and foot pursuit out over the radio and as I do, I look back to see my gun skidding and flipping over on the street behind me. Of course at this point I'm calling myself ever bad word in the book. Not only am I not leaving my gun behind, I can't believe I allowed it to fall. For those of you who don't understand, I carry this Safariland holster for my 9mm H&K.
I had flipped the hood forward when approaching the car and didn't flip it back when I started running.

Bad guy goes over the wall and by this time I'm way behind, but I do too. He takes a drink into the neighbor's backyard pool and then out the side gate. His wet foot prints on this 35 degree California morning stayed in place for my backup officers to find leading a couple houses east of his last observed location. He isn't first found until he jumps the wall back towards me and I continue my foot pursuit, alone, until an undercover detective and a uniformed officer back me up on the street. Bad guy jumps a few more walls, so do I and then he is caught by two other detectives who responded to assist. With the assistance of 3 detective, 1 sergeant, and 6 other officers, bad guy goes to jail. He is found to have 4 felony warrants in addition to my charges.

Follow-up shows he ran to a nearby friends home to get resources, SHOES, since he ran out of his at my stop. Contact with friend and his mom at their house shows friend is in possession of yet more heroin.

10-98 2 Adult Felony Arrests

First thing my Sgt asks me is, "are you hurt?" I did twist my knee and I'm still paying for it but told him I was not a young buck anymore but was all right.

Chief's last day

2011-12-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my Chief's last day. He is taking an early retirement like a golden handshake along with 20-some other employees. He was in our briefing in the morning talking about how you should remember the little things and take it all in.

So.....

One of my Corporals comes up with the neat idea of finding a warrant arrest and calling the chief out to take the arrest as his last official act. We had a hard time finding a felony warrant so we settled on a misdemeanor. We went up the chain of command and I personally called the Chief's secretary who thought it was a cool idea. We are told he is in his last morning management meeting however and we are not allowed to bother him.

We tried again later but this time my Corporal is told the Chief is not interested. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? What was all that talk this morning in briefing about?

FREEWAY PATROL EP.5

2011-11-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

Shooting

2011-10-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

My buddies were in a shooting this past week. All caught on dash came. Haven't seen it yet but the O.I.S. (Officer Involved Situation) Sergeant said we may get a look at it soon.

Story goes that bad guy had a long gun and was acting weird while sitting under a tree on the side of the road. We get there and he doesn't obey commands and at one point walks toward officers and begins to raise the gun. 3 of 4 officers shoot and bad guy dies.

4th officer tried shooting but had a malfunction. This is exactly why when I go to the range at least 4 times a year that I ask to shoot the bullet in the chamber of my gun. It's psychological but it helps me sleep.

Tired - 2 Faced - Hypocrite

2011-10-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Read a friends Facebook post tonight about getting a ticket. He is a good guy but I've noticed how Christian's are vocal about how cops were "petty" or a sucker when they were given a ticket.

Are there some violations of the law that seam more dangerous than others? SURE!
But are you saying that the lesser violations shouldn't be enforced? We should just tickets those 16 mph over the speed limit to give those 15...1 over the speed limit a buffer. Than why not just raise the speed limit.

I'm tired of the female who drives away from my stop and says, "God bless." In a tone more like FUCK YOU!

I'm not saying I am without a log in my own eye but I don't stand on a soapbox preaching against that which I supposed to obey. At least be secretive about it!

Arrest of the Year

2011-10-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

I'm getting back in the swing of things. In fact one call stood out. I'm calling it the arrest of the year.

42 Year old male (Parole) arrested for spray painting a word on a wall.

Back at work - Full duty

2011-10-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

In the last 3 weeks I've been at work I have had great partners. I do my fare share but they sure are being nice to me. I've dealt with 3 dead bodies and a handful of other calls. Mostly being reactive more than pro-active.

Honestly, I hurt too much to be pro-active. We'll decide in 3 weeks if I'll go under the knife again. (I'm all for it)

Besides all that, I'm enjoying my couple days off this week. Wife has jury duty tomorrow, I have a Department Photo this week. Photo happens about every 10 years when we get a new Chief.

Special Assignments

2011-09-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

I've only tried out for 3 special assignments.

First there was the sniper position. Couldn't pass the physical. I can still shoot better than most of them but oh well.

Then there was the past Commercial Enforcement position. Tickets to truck drivers. I was the only one certified, only one who had been actively writing these type of tickets but was stepped over for another.

Lastly, the was our mid/high level drug team. Working for a task force I came out #2 in that testing. #1 was the bomb so I'm not disappointed with #2. What no one knew was that the agency boss called me personally and offered me a job. I obviously didn't take it but that brings me to now.

I'm back on patrol and the task force position is open again. I know of one other candidate who is putting in for it. Probably a handful of others but #1 who is someone I wouldn't mind having it. Brings me to the question if I'm going to apply for it?

More than likely I won't because time with the family is much more important. I still entertain the thought in my head. I'm always #2, never #1. One day this has to end!

The Sing Off on NBC

2011-09-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm proud of my friend Moi in Kinfolk 9 who moved on to the next level on "The Sing Off" tonight.

1 thing I'd like to pass on about Moi is that he is a genuine dude. Rock on brother!

Back to work

2011-09-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Back to patrol I went. Officially out 1 year 5 months and 10 days. There were many calls but most of my partners handled them. Planned or not it was a nice transition into patrol again. Of course there was the 5150 I had to deal with. Who I had to catch when he passed out standing at the intake counter at the local crazy house. I think it was 1 year, 5 months and 10 days ago I got hurt catching someone. ;)

Neck hurts & knee pops but I'm back in the game.

Sept. 11th

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week...

2011-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

I feel as if I haven't done much this week but what I have done are some of these things:

1) Took a supplemental report for some knuckleheads who didn't feel the initial report outlined their side of the fight that ensued from the repossession of said victims vehicle. I had 4 records clerks laughing when those two ding bats left.

2) I continued working on my 160 person department directory that is going to be used to implement a new schedule/O.T./... system. In that document I had to put the official Human Resource Titles of each position. I'm a POII (Police Officer II). I added to my possible duties, "LTADJ" (Lieutenant Adjutant). The payroll lady laughed and said I was being downgraded to Payroll Adjutant. Bet your bottom dollar I'll put both on a resume now.

3) Been putting protocol together for cell phone continuity agreements if a localized disaster or major incident were to occur.

4) Got my duty bag together because I'm going back to patrol in 11 days.

SPAM

2011-09-03T23:44:00.001-07:00

I don't get many comments but what I do get a lot of are "I'm doing a survey" or "I want to know more about police work, go to this link." Serious?

LAME!

My kid and church

2011-08-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Being a cop is not all that I am. In fact, I'd rather it not be my label. What I love is being dad and tonight was one of my proudest moments.

My wife and I go to a church of about 2500-4000 people, given the specific Sunday. Last week, we were asked by a staff member in my 1st graders section if he would come to the last evening service. (4 services: 2 morning, 2 evening) I considered it a privilege but figured she just needed some kids she could trust and count on. My 6 yr old is truly one of those kinds.

So, we hit church up this morning with the family and my 1st grader accompanies approx. 60+ Kinder thru 6th graders up onto the stage and recites for 1000 people a memory verse and the old testaments books of the bible with some other sayings. It was cool to see our k-6th graders reciting this for the service. But....

Then came tonight. Wife had a pre-planned event so I cut the boy's hair for 1st day of 1st grade tomorrow, showered/bathed all of my kids and grabbed a bite to eat. I booked the kids into their respective youth programs at church and sat in the back row expecting my boy to come out with a group again and do like he did in first service. NOPE!!!

Came out with about 25 mostly older kids. They said their verse and then...... (Dunt dunt da da!)

Staff members says my boy's name and the rest sit. He then begins a 2min and 2 sec rendition with hand signs of the books of the old testament and God's place in them.

I'm not a crier, and my wife doesn't read this anyways so oh well... I was so proud!

Police Shooting

2011-08-23T00:19:00.000-07:00

Did you get to see the San Diego cop (Jared) shot in the neck today. What a trooper. Keeps his gun down range and on target. Then a trainee (according to news) drags him across street.

Get better my brother. Good team work today!

Calling all investigators

2011-08-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm totally bothered by an investigation of mine.

Nice college student is stupid enough to look for a car to buy online. Doesn't realize she makes a side deal because the seller is sly and she gets pumped for $2,800 and no car.

I've used pipl, spokeo, white pages and my tech guy even looked into who was registered as the owner of a website. But I'm clearly at a dead end.

College student sent money via Western Union, seller was from google-checkout.com or other various support google.... Appears to be from Google's Checkout but in the end is bogus.

Any connections inside Western Union, Google? Investigation ideas? FYI, haven't gotten a subpoena for records but the emails through my sites don't come back to anything and the phone number is bogus.

HELP!

Fullerton PD

2011-08-16T00:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know the circumstances of this latest incident. That's not what this post is about. What I don't understand is why everyone is so bothered by the service 37yr old Kelly Thomas received. Again, not here to debate if those Officer's did or did not go overboard. Being a cop, I'd like to think not.

What I'm bothered by is the fact that Kelly's dad is now coming out publicly damning the police. Many spectators are coming out and damning the PD too. All while they, his father and passerbys allowed Kelly to live on the street, homeless, living with a mental disability (according to dad)? I have a feeling these cops new Kelly better than anyone in his recent past.

As Rush Limbaugh calls the drive-by media, I call these protesters, drive-by citizens. they didn't do anything to help, but they are sure quick to judge those who were tasked with the job.

P.S. What's with the Chief going out sick. Cruddy way to do business.

Back to work after surgery

2011-08-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

Back to work after knee surgery last Tuesday. Took all the bandages off day 2. I've done this a few times so I'm comfortable with it all. Sitting the desk with the knee bent has caused it to swell. Did great last week because I took the week off.

So...

I'm not sure if my bosses can make up their minds. There are a few Sgt.'s who I get along with, others I annoy and a few I can't be in the same room with. 1 in particular will walk by me and in my opinion purposefully look hard and straight as if I'm no where around. haa...

But then their bosses, the LT., they are always having me do jobs for them. Currently I'm:
1) Writing new SOP (Standard Op. Procedures) for a new ordinance I wrote and the city attorney signed off on.

2) Developing a new template report to go along with that SOP

3) Today I did 50+ officers payroll, and found mistakes the bosses made and corrected (Acknowledged by the LT i was helping.)

4) I talked the Det. Sgt into getting 6 detectives together to conduct a sting for me today. Bad guy in custody, stolen property returned. -Darn Craigslist

5) Had a parole agent go out and do a photo line up for me (never happens that way) and then revoke a gals parole.

6) Took a bunch of reports at the front counter where I sit for a few more weeks.

Admin leave...murder...whats next

2011-08-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Obviously a cop being murdered (San Diego) is the worst thing ever but this week a good friend of mine was placed on admin. leave.

I don't know the circumstances, and if he did something or not doesn't change that he has been a good friend.

This stuff just doesn't get any easier.

Security - Church

2011-08-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

My good buddy Los brought up an interesting point in his latest post about being a part of an entourage. Specifically he was speaking about pastors who have "people." Some call them handlers, some security, others assistants.

If you live in a small town you have no idea what I'm talking about. You think only A list celebrities or national figures have people.

I'm a volunteer member of my church's security team. We range from deputies, city police, and federals. We do have those silly secret service ear pieces but we rarely ever are involved. In fact we mostly deal with medical aids.

But back to the entourage. Are they extreme? Is our society so whacked (Norway, Beslan, Church Shootings)? Is having an assigned body guard for a pastor, a medic on stand by for a group picnic, a firefighter on standby during a fun night out with the kids a bad thing?

Count down...

2011-07-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

In my last days on modified duty I've tried to take as many advantages for classes or time off as possible. Yesterday, at the Reagan Museam I attended probably the worst class I've ever gone to. "Warrior Mindset" taught by a guy with many more years on than I but compairable experience.

Now I have knee surgery on Tuesday for the failed attempt to fix the minor stuff during my major knee surgery in Feb '11. Then back to work here in just a few weeks.

Protection

2011-07-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

No, not the kind that keeps babies away.

Had a good time at my Dignitary Protection class. At least one of my instructors had just worked protecting The Duke and Dutches.

I learned that simple movements are not simple. That reaction time isn't fast enough, but spotting a potential threat prior to is the key. Also found that many a times security has to make due when in my opinion they should have the best and greatest.

Class

2011-07-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

Dignitary Protection Class Tomorrow!

Layoffs

2011-06-28T22:05:00.001-07:00

Looks like there will be no layoffs.

BLUE FLU

2011-06-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

When city services are being pulled or drastically reduced it has a polarizing effect. I've know a sheriff department or two who "slow" things down. Reading every word on jail intake documents and taking 5x the time a normal booking would take. All to make a point.

Then there are the "blue flu's" or the days/weeks that don't have names but no one is doing anything proactive out there. No one suffers because cops are still reactive, but then the citizens feel the flip side of criminals staying out on the streets when they could have been caught by a nosy officer.

You never want to make citizens your enemy. When you are alone and getting your ass handed to you, it may be, highly doubtful though, a citizen who comes to your aid.

But then again us Calif. cops, we make $75,000 a year or more. People don't have an issue with a dang ball player making millions but they have issues with a cop making a good living. We should degrade cops, expect them to plan for the worst yet hope for the best but also get paid poorly too? Come on!

Layoffs and more surgery

2011-06-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

I'll try to keep this short but there is so much to write about.

1) Today, my city announced unprecedented layoffs of sworn personnel. 21.5% to be accurate.

2) The neck Dr. says I need to go back under the knife.

Commendations

2011-06-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Rarely do we get them. Most of the time when someone says they are going to send one they don't. Or have they been and are they being "lost" in the process. I've experienced this recently and in the past. I know of 3 people who sent in positive words about me and they just happened not to hit my file or even an acknowledgment.

I'm a big commendation giver. Most recently to a Deputy in Los Angeles, and one in Lafayette, LA. Both worked extra hard for me on cases I was working. Not only did I send commendations to their bosses about them, but I BCC'd them. That way I know they get them no matter if they are a black sheep or a golden boy.

That brings me to my job. Over the past 2 months I've sat a desk. Many times while at that desk I have done projects for my Sgt or Lieutenant.
1) Our Shift Schedule
2) Shift Payroll
3) Investigated a local Dr. who threatened officers after arresting her, if we ever came to her hospital.
4) Handed out mail, rearranged the way in which we hand out information to our 160 officers.
5) Drafted - Drew the schematics of our Det. bureau, patrol and dispatch consoles so they could be catalogued and kept up to date.

Most of these jobs took a cpl hours, a cpl days at most.

Over the past week I've had my LT. say that he would gladly give a positive recommendation as to my Lieutenant Adjutant position I've been filling. And my night Sgt., probably has 3 days left on the department, tells me he will make sure my work reflects on my eval.

The Sgt., an old school Latin male with the old school partial fu Manchu mustache, isn't much for giving commendations for non-Latin males. So I take anything he gives. One of those old school Sgt's you can learn a lot from.

The LT., will be my next Captain if not a Chief applicant. Solid guy, strong reputation! Just glad I could make him look good through my work. Maybe one day it will circle around. I know I could use it.

Interesting Week to say the least...

2011-06-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Negotiations, early retirements, & reports for celebrities.

According to my victims, they are celebrities. One was a famous meteorologist, online mind you, and the other is a pro football player. Mr. Meteorologist was the victim of a hate crime and false impersonation. Mr. St. Louis Rams named roster player, was the victim of ID theft.

Then there was my association trying to give back to the city by opening up our contract and trying to save the city 2-3 million dollars. They balked at that, like I said they would in the meeting, and now we are sending our last revision back with some concessions but in the end it benefits us.

Then, and this is the biggest news. My last post was asking about seniority. That's because at my department, a high level ranking member had a family member moved up the seniority list. He then appears to have been caught in a lie and took early retirement today.

SENIORITY?

2011-06-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

How does your work determine how seniority falls?

Is it by hire date?
Academy graduation date?
FTO completion date?
Prior service in house (non-sworn) or lateral?

What if you have the same hire date as the next guy/gal? Do you then go to prior in house or lateral service? Alphabetical? --And which one comes first?

What about a seasoned cop in your department who is lets say a Corporal. He gets a special assignment overseeing a unit (i.e. K-9, 24/7 Swat...) Does his overall time count or is it his assigned date for the unit and maybe some kick ass boot with a year on who tested well has a last name of "A" and he picks before the Corporal with 10 years on?

If it's not this it's that...

2011-06-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

In the last year my department has let go or retired at least 3.75% of the department (6+ officers). Even with that I can't get my neck Dr. to retire me. Dang him! lol

Now being back I see that its only gotten worse since leaving. The tension in the room can be cut with a knife. Old timers, people with 5 years left are afraid to talk out when normally they wouldn't have anything to lose. I even suggested to a few people the other day that we work with the department to get our supervisors door moved. Everyday, I sit in a desk between my Lieutenant's Office and Sergeant's Office. Each day they open and close their door at least 50 times. Each time that door closes the tension rises and everyone goes on the defense. If they would only move the door to the opposite side of the room out to the hallway, we could at least have our report writing room as a safe haven.

Also, we have shift pick going on right now. I've been helping my LT. get it out as early as possible and was about 2/3 of the way through pick when an issue came up. SENIORITY! Some how, a Captain's son was bumped up the list. Now shift pick is on hold and the powers that be are all having closed door meetings, yes there comes that door issue again, to resolve the quandary.

Tired of being broken

2011-05-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

If you are tired of hearing my medical woes, stop right here and go do something else.

So, I'm been broken for a while now. If its not the neck surgery I had in Nov. 10' its the knee surgery I had Feb 11'. Things were moving right along until about 4 weeks ago. The knee starting to give way. Then a little pain here and then wam! Lots of pain, lots of knee movement where movement should be and a real tough time walking even just a few feet. I finally got into the Dr. and he told me this today.

"Your study (MRI) shows some things. First, the meniscus looks torn (AGAIN) but your new ACL looks to be intact." He goes on to tell me that when he repaired the meniscus in Feb when he but my new ACL ligament in he error ed on the safe side and didn't cut a lot off the meniscus. Now I have to wait 3 months of sucky pain until he goes back in and fixes it.

Good vs. Bad

2011-05-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

After having one of the best days at work yesterday I had one of the worst today.

Today, my neck hurt, my knee hurt and I was told I DIDN'T get the Commercial Enforcement spot.

So I sit here a bad loser. Thinking about how over the past 3 1/2 years I have prepared for this position. I paid almost $2,000 to attend commercial school. I write many many tickets to motorists, not to mention big rigs. I even took my fair share of crash investigations. I've done road side check points with CHP as the only city cop amongst 25 commercially savvy CHP commercial cops.

Now I sit here in amazement not knowing what to think. I had thought that I would enjoy the take home car. I would enjoy the 4 years of set schedules and the different jobs I would get to do. I even thought about my injuries and how this spot would have been a good fit with less contact with the real bad guys.

It went from the best to the worst.

Enjoyment

2011-05-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

I actually enjoyed being at work today. I haven't said that in a while now.

I even got an MRI done and went back to work without any hickup from the boss.

Missing Home

2011-05-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

Working 4 days for 10hours is a definite change of pace from being home for a year. Then there is the court cases I'm showing up for that have been pending for months and I'm still trying to fix my knee because the ACL surgery sprung a leak a couple weeks ago and I'm still going to PT sessions for my neck injury.

All of that leaves me without seeing my first born, only son, for 4 whole days, each week. I normally get a 1 or 2 minute conversation with him on the phone but I've quickly realized that is not enough. And sure I miss my other smaller kids just as much and in more and less ways (different ways) then my son but I tend to get to see them for at least a few minutes on my work days and there is just something with a dad's connection with his first born and not to mention his only son.

So tonight I caught the wife before she went to sleep. The kids came up and how I missed them and then my wife had to go and tell me a sweat story.

Now, I'm not the mushy type. I am however not a dad who doesn't hug, kiss, snuggle. Those are my love languages. There is nothing better then snuggle time with any of my kids. Heck when I couldn't sleep because of the aforementioned neck injury and surgery, it was only my kids who could make me sleep. I couldn't sleep at night and even went days without sleeping. But if you put a kid on my lap and they stayed there. Didn't matter if they were moving around or stone faced watching a favorite TV program, I would take a nap like I was laying on the most comfortable bed in the world.

So, when I hear stories about my kids and their thoughts about me, its almost as good as snuggling.

My boy tonight is having dinner with the family. Mommy broke her normal organic, from scratch, home made dinner and made the kids mac-n-cheese. My boy puts some ketchup on his and says, even though its not his favorite he is eating it that way because daddy does.

Then came the down pour from my eye lids. Dang how I miss my little ones now that I'm back at work.

ICE vs. INS

2011-05-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

DUI driver is arrested last night and finger prints are taken. A few hours later the department gets a fax from ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) saying they want the subject held and not released. Fast forward 10 hours and I come to work. I'm directed to see who will take Mr. Wanted. I try the number on the ICE hold but no one answers. I contact our nearby INS/Border Patrol and their supervisor approves one of their guys meeting us half way and taking custody.

I get Mr. Wanted ready and a fellow officer shuttles him down the road. Only to return an hour later with Mr. Wanted still in tow. INS refused the transfer.

So I'm back on the phones. This time with the semi-local jail, some ICE command post in Virginia and at hour 16, Mr. Wanted is taken to another counties jail to be held for ICE.

New Position

2011-05-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Open positions in your department. Lets say its a motor spot. For the month just before it opens or even after the flier goes out, every one's stats go up. They start requesting certain calls and they may even go to a training or start hanging out with that group. Same goes for K-9, swat and the like.

Once in a while a guy/gal will get a spot because they love it. They do it weather they have a "spot" or not.

Since at least 2008 I've been making it known that I want to be our next Commercial Enforcement Officer. I went to CHP's 2 week long training on my own dime (minus class fee and a shared room) unlike every other person who had per diem + airfare...

I spent around $1,500 for the two week class.

Yesterday my traffic division Lieutenant posted that the position would open. I've been waiting for this day. I still might not be picked but no one has my resume.
1) Commercial School
2) Lidar
3) Radar
4) Beginning traffic collision
5) Public Speaking (A true love)
6) Some of the (if not THE) highest ticket statistics in patrol

My uphill battle is that I'm still injured and they don't have these statistics from before I got hurt since it was more than a year ago.

If I don't get picked? I'll be totally bummed.

My new gadget on the desk

2011-05-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is my new toy. Retailing at $399 my city purchased this for me. Noise cancelling, remote phone pickup.

I look a little silly, but it sure does make my neck feel so so much better.

Domestic Violence Late Report

2011-05-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

The only good thing about being back at work is that I get to chuckle inside with some peoples problems.
Today I get a call via land line that a female wants to make a report. I call her and she says her ex boyfriend strangled her into unconsciousness and then dumped her on the side of the road. When she awoke she went to a friends house who wouldn't call police for her. Instead of run to a stranger or use a pay phone, she drives 30 min. to her mothers house in another city and then calls us almost 12 hours later.

I tell her she needs to come in and we will be waiting for her. She says she is coming in now. 5 1/2 hours go by and then she shows up. Her sister and sisters bro come with her and they are as high (speed/meth.) as a kite. No wonder no one wanted to call. Victim's are rarely true victims. There is always another story.

I feel for the real victims and because I do it doesn't matter if you are a crack head or a billionaire TBN personality, I'll give you the same service. I'll just chuckle inside.

Detectives

2011-05-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

Because I can't go out to investigate or catch the bad guys, I'm left with patrol doing it for me or detectives. I have one case that is a slam dunk that I need the Detectives to go out and get a pawn shop photo and then hook up the named suspect.
Maybe I don't understand their jobs but they are always watching a baseball game or playing computer poker when I drop in. Don't get my wrong. They are really great investigators. Better than I could ever be and they seam to be closing cases all the time, but I'm just not understanding how they do business. Especially when I want something done now and its not happening.

Maybe I need to work on my patience.

Funny call

2011-04-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it was this week but I had some interesting calls.

Today, I call a female who wants to report a rape. In very heavy Islamic accent she tells me a YEAR ago a friend of hers .... and then she goes into a crazy story but won't tell me what happened. Everything from 1) I knew him barely to 2) My friends made me call. I could listed 10 or 20 but it would bore you as it did me. Finally her friend gets on the phone and says.

He rapped her, we have the panties in a bag and we want a report. The female "victim" gets back on the phone and proceeds to tell me that she has the ribbed under ware in a bag "she thinks." Saved for over a year. I asked her if she washed them. She says, "yes" like that doesn't change things and then asks her friend to check in the bag to disturb it more. She ends telling me that the guy is suing her for $8,000 and she needs the report for documentation and doesn't want us to begin our investigation until after a time when she tells us to start investigation down the road.

Reporting and Arresting

2011-04-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

While I recover from my injury I sit the desk. I'm supposed to have little to no contact with the public unless I have 2" think glass between us. That doesn't allow me to do much real police work. So when I get the opportunity, even if its slightly out of the glass bubble, I jump at it.

Tonight was one of those nights. Dispatch gives me a land line call of a past domestic violence. First, this should not be done by phone but the caller is miles away so I oblige. Ends up that police did respond the other night but no crime so people were sent packing, but now she wants a report so she can go get a restraining order. I talk her into coming down so I can see the text messages and document them.

About 30 minutes later she shows up at my front counter.

--What I'm not telling you is that I ran the female while talking to her on the phone.

FELONY WARRANT!

So, after taking her report I kindly tell her she is under arrest and the nice assisting officer handcuffs her and I take her to our jail. Still able to have no "contact" but get the Felony stat arrest.

Venting and the Public

2011-04-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a commendation giver and a vent-er, so I understand both avenues. I however never understand how people can be so rude to the police while at the same time asking for their help.

Case in fact:
- Neighbors have a long history of not getting along. Mostly, it's one neighbor who feels that the other neighbor is always to loud. He says he has tried to turn a blind eye but he is fed up and now will call police.
- Other neighbor doesn't understand how their teenagers in their own back yard listening to the radio while sun bathing or hangout with friends could bother the neighbors.
Although I probably would side with the QUIET one vs. NOISE, I think both are pathetic. Specifically the NOISY family.

I first speak with dad on the phone who obviously is boiling. He is mad that the neighbor damned his teenage daughter over the fence. Telling her to shut off the music or he will call police.
Each and every time I'd try to speak, he'd talk over me. Then later his wife shows up at our police station and she is yelling through our night intercom at my records clerks that "we better stop harassing her family." I"m sitting in the dark at the front desk doing some last minute work on a report and I'm watching her. Finally I hit the open door button and the lobby lights flicker on and she walks in with such attitude. And like her husband goes on a rant. I allow her because I've been there. But each time I try to answer a question of hers or just to explain her "ASSumptions" she cuts me off, talks over me and is just rude.

I finally stop her, tell her I'm not listening to her because she is obviously there just to yell but not to listen also. She doesn't apologize but then starts to let me talk a little more before yet another interruption. She finally leaves thanking me for my time but no wonder her butt head neighbor is complain on her. She and her family can do no wrong.

Easter

2011-04-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Today is the day us Christian's celebrate Christ Jesus raising from the dead after being killed on a cross.

1) Some people have said he must not have died but was sick and injured but never died.

If you read the account of the Crucifixion, his heart was punctured and blood and water flowed out. Dr's say this alone, not to mention all the other stuff, was enough.

2) Others say, that the people who saw him were hallucinating.

Even if everyone had been on hallucinogens, there has never been a single documented event where more than one person had the same hallucination.

Oops - There goes the handcuffs

2011-04-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting the desk and a dispatcher walks into the report writing room with 2 kids in tow. Obviously they are friend or family and she is showing them around the facility. Dispatchers don't come to our side of the building much. They have their own entrance, parking lot and office space separating them from us.

As she showed the two youth around she cames to my friend and I saying we would show them our guns and badges. I offered my loaded weapon (not) and this instantly mades me the go to person. Dispatcher then commented that she would have shown them the jail but it had people being booked. Long story...but I arraigned for their tour.

Having been a former jailer in our facility I felt comfortable showing them around while the working jailers sat and watch. On our way out, Dispatcher asks the two youth to sit on a booking bench and put the handcuffs on that are attached to the wall. Kids do as asked and then its time for me to unlock. Lets just say it didn't go so well.

The "ASP" handcuffs internal lock broke with kid still attached. I try 2 keys, have a jailer come over and try, I even tried the slip the paperclip in but it wasn't giving. Finally, I got the bolt cutters out and cut it off. I think that kid will have one heck of a story to share.

Another $$$ issue

2011-04-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Female gets arrested and is brought to the departments jail. She is searched and her property logged. In her property is a couple hundred dollars. Later, she is transported to another jail and the money is now missing. Another hiccup is that the 2nd much bigger jail doesn't do their job in logging in everything in females property.

She later bails out and learns she no longer has the hundreds of dollars.

I've been tasked with finding it. Problem, is that's a supervisors job. As much as I'd like to be one, I'm not nor am I treated as one. So I do my due diligence and still haven't found it. I pass it off to my Lieutenant and tell him the investigation has come to a point where I can no longer be the investigator.

DUI and the aftermath

2011-04-14T00:26:00.000-07:00

Female driver, about 25, gets arrested in the wee hours of the morning. Her car is towed and her license taken. A few hours in jail until sober and then released.

Fast forward a day and half.

Call into the police department wanting to report $80 stolen from her car by the tow company. For some reason she didn't suspect us. So I call her and begin to get her side of the story. She remembers being tipped at her TGIF bus tables job. She remembers having a couple more bucks she saved for a friends present she was going to buy soon. All of that money, about $80, was in her special bag like this one.

She is sure when she got her ID out for the police who later arrested her that the ~$80 was there. About 20 minutes of me questioning her she remembers she bought something that night with a $20 so her theft is now $60. I hang up with her and tell her I will call her back in a few minutes. I check the booking form, the tow sheet and learn there was no money found in the car and she had $10 on her person.

I call her back and tell her about my findings. Now the theft is $50. I half explain and half ask that its a possibility that she may have spent more than she thought or even lost the money or even gave it away. She admits that she doesn't remember but that she still wants a report but doesn't want prosecution.

She ends saying, "You know, times are hard. I just need that money." Guess she should have thought about that before:

1) Spending money on alcohol

2) Having a crappy table busing job

3) Having to pay to have her car taken out of the tow yard

4) DUI charges (admin. costs of $5,000+)

5) PRICELESS!

Sitting the front desk

2011-04-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

I once in a while sit at my department's front desk as I rehabilitate. Not only do I chat and take reports from people who walk up to the counter, but I field calls sometimes that the records clerks want me to take. This past week I took this one. Now the background is that husband was arrested last night. Just so happens I talked to the domestic violence unit who arrested husband right after they had arrested him. They told me that husband and wife had been arrested numerous times for D.V. and that they had never seen a longer history of reported D.V.

Then comes the call from wife (victim - this time) the next morning.

I answer, "Hello this is Mr. Police Man how can I help you?"
The voice on the other end of the line is whispering and I finally ask her why. She says its because she doesn't want her children to hear her calling police for advice. She goes on to say that her mother-n-law came over and tried to take her (victim's) kids. Her story and her thinking was just off. So, I finally told her professionally what I thought.

I told her that I wish she wasn't whispering. That she was her kids mother and not their bff. Her kids should know by example that the cops are the good guys. We should be seen as the people with the answers, the persons who bring sanity to a crazy situation. But she continued to whisper.

Then I asked her to treat her mother-n-law as she would a stranger. I asked, if a stranger walks into your home are you going to call police. She answers, "No." I about toppled over and the records clerks listening to my side of the conversation gasp. She goes on saying, I'll ask the stranger to leave.

I finally had to just tell the female what I wanted her to do since her ideas of being her kids "favorite" were skewed and her ideas on how to handle a situation were off.

Blog add

2011-04-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

If you regularly post and read or comment on my blog, please let me know your blog address so I can link to it.

Bueller.... Bueller....

2011-04-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm a part of the Ferris Bueller movie. I feel like my bosses having no clue to whats really going on in the room.

Read a few of my work posts like this and I feel like all I do is moan about my department. Problem is,it's such a negative place that I feel as though that's all I have to write about.

I've been back to work 8 days now (2 weeks) and I've been pulled into my bosses office twice now to get my ass chewed. For things that were not ass chewing material and now I remember why I hate the place so much.

I'm sitting a random desks, sometimes my Sergeants desk, where I read officers reports and sign them off. I also take lots of citizen calls at this desk since its usually maned by a Supervisor but I've been given some authorization to approve reports and talk to people. Other times, my bosses are there having their super secret squirrel meetings and they ask me to leave and I happily leave. Other days I'm assigned to our department's front desk. Bulletproof glass separates me from the public so I'm safe to work there on "light duty."

In both of these situations I've had my ass chewed because I didn't notify this boss or read that bosses mind that he was stepping away and I needed to cover his post. Heck, I didn't realize that my 5 hours investigation where I've narrowed down on my suspect and I'm talking to this person and that should be put on hold while I wait for a possibility that my boss might leave and I need to man his post.

I actually cussed to (not at) my wife tonight when I got home. I so do not appreciate being back at work!

P.S. If the negative wasn't there I'd be writing about how I got a lucky break and found some hotel's stolen property at a pawn shop 2 cities over or that I'm writing a search warrant for cell phone records. All things the desk officer, poor chap who is hurt that sits at my bosses desk, rarely if ever does.

Police day at school

2011-03-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty proud of how this demo turned out. If you are new to my blog, I told my kids teacher that I'd come and maybe brings some friends. Ended up with 12 police officers, 4 K-9's, a K-9 agitator, a motor, a supervisor and a few patrol guys. A few of those listed also spoke Spanish which is important because half (~90) of the attending kids are in a special Spanish language program learning to speak Spanish.

I wasn't going to put the pics up because I didn't want to show any one's face but I had a little fun with photoshop and now you have pictures. Enjoy, I know I did.

Motor

K-9 demo

Part of the group

Spanish

SWAT

Back to work

2011-03-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

End of day 3 back to work and my neck hurts. My nurse advocate told me I'd be tired and sore doing things I wasn't used to but I didn't expect to be this much of a baby and to actually say out loud that my neck muscles hurt.

Mostly I just need to sit at work with better posture. I try to fix my posture for a min. but then lapse because I'm so bored and I slouch.

That brings me to what they have me doing. After my Det. bureau asked for help, and may have even asked for me specifically along with my Personnel and Training Division, I'm assigned 80% to my Sgt's desk and 20% to the front counter. The Front counter is busy and although not my favorite, I'm a people person so I love jabbering with everyone. But I got in trouble for going to lunch and not walking to the back of the building to tell my LT I was leaving, even though I was working with records supervisors and 7 front desk people who all knew I was at lunch. I tell you this lame story to show you have silly some things are.

Things are a changing...

2011-03-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the long awaited police presentation at my kid's school. Praying that the rain gives way to sunshine as this is being held outdoors with no indoor alternative.

If the weather shines and all make it, we will have approx. 17 police officers at this event. Officers from SWAT, K-9's, patrol, air and even a Spanish component. I'm excited but being in charge, I'm sad to say the schedule is kind of on the teachers shoulders and I know they think it's on ours.

Good times to be had by all I hope.

In other news: Dr is sending me back to work. Starting this weekend I'll be light-duty sitting at the Sgt. desk.
What that means is that my boss can be gone longer from the station because I'll be the station gun, telephone report writer, and even the first contact for the press who call at least once a day. Not to anxious to go back to work. I'll remind you that I've been off work for 11 months now.

CJ degree cont...

2011-03-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

When I started, I could count on one hand how many people had college degrees in my 160+ person department. Now, at least 1/3 of them do and most are in Criminal Justice.

Many have gone through the evening or weekend programs. Some meet online, some once a week and others less but rarely more. In a lot of the programs the teacher is a current or former police officer. From what I hear, the programs are just for the paper at the end.

This is another reason why I suggest cop-wannabes get a degree in something else. And I know that school is not for everyone but a still stress getting a degree before going full time because you are either going to get higher pay or pay advances faster.

There does seam to be one exception to the above. The full time day programs seam to be much better and since I encourage everyone to get a degree or go to a trade school, if CJ is all you want then get a CJ degree. I just pray that during one of your electives in pottery/business law/biology, that you change your major to something you love. You can still become a cop but when you get hurt and need something to fall back on you have knowledge of something you truly love and enjoyed learning about.

Blog award from a Crim. Justice Web Site

2011-03-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

So this site says my blog is top 50 in regards to police blogs. Although I love those accolades I have an issue with the site. Not personally, and its more of an issue with colleges in general that offer the "Criminal justice" classes, which this site main goal seams to be.

I have a 4 year college degree. Started out as a theatre major and ended as a Psych major. So its not like I'm talking about a degree program when I didn't get one.

But, I get a question or comment a lot about how he or she is getting a criminal justice degree. I usually give the following advice.

Over the next 4 years you will pay a butt load of cash to learn about CJ. In two weeks on the job you will learn that same 4 years of information. Why not think about English, business or even Psychology as a better major. Heck, if you want to be a boss you better have an MBA. If you want to be on the crisis negotiation team what is better than having a Psych degree. Or what do officers do more than write; thus a English degree.

I end with saying if you hate all the rest and you just have a love for CJ then that is the only time to get a CJ degree but if its just because that's what the counselor told you would go best with being a cop in the future, I'd leave immediately because that school cares more about your money then actually teaching you.

What would you do

2011-03-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

So disrespectful yet we all think it's funny. What would you do?

The Wife

2011-03-16T23:36:00.000-07:00

My wife has been slightly grumpy for the past few days and she finally came out about what was bothering her.

I'm not sure if its the news lately about the enormous amount of officer being killed, the fact that I left at a low point in my organization and I'm returning at an even lower point, or she has just enjoyed me home for the past year, but she finally came out and told me that she is apprehensive about me going back.

I told her that even my front desk is shielded with bullet proof glass and walls but she said she knew I would be okay with just standing behind it, changing in to get the bad guy.

I didn't realize how good this time off was for the family. Time at home to attend, baseball games, school functions, gymnastics, church, and just to be around the family.

I'm not looking to go back either. Its almost like I'm a newbie again (even with 10 years on) and I'm starting at a new place.

Presentation

2011-03-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

I've been really frustrated as of late as I try to plan a special event at my child's school. I was approached at the beginning of the year and asked if sometime during the year I could come in and share about police work. Now I can't just show up in uniform and talk. That's boring. Nor can I just show up with a car because remember I'm IOD for about another 2 weeks.

So, I've been working with the teachers (5 in total), 1 other copper dad and my department to have resources show up for this thing. I'll now call it an event. So, we were scheduled to have it this coming Friday and up until a few minutes ago, I was solo on this event.

Then something happened. We changed the date and the other dad, who happens to be a somebody in his department, come through in a big way.

I'm talking we now have scheduled for our event the following:
Us 2 dads
8 Swat officers and their vehicle
1 or 2 motors
3 or 4 k-9's and agitators
3 Spanish speaking officers
1 Helicopter
1 professional photographer

That's about 17 officers... just because us two dad's have our kids in a special kinder program we want to make even that much more special.

And all the other dad told me is, I'm not a big fan of getting up in front of the group. I told him, heck brother I'll make a clown out of myself because you came up big. I'm so stoked and if this comes off that well I'm going to poop my pants.

Now I have to get the 30 goodie bags ready for our class and the 130 badge stickers for the others. Goodie bag includes:
Hard sided police coloring book
Police car/hat eraser
Pencil
Stickers

Cont. on things you may not have known

2011-03-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

I personally like that we have to buy our own guns. I don't want a hand me down when it comes to an item that means so much when it comes to those critical incidents. I don't like it when it breaks, needs an update and I have to pay for it. -but sure I do get to write some of it off.

I don't get to write off my cool Top Gun sunglasses.
I don't get to write off my cell phone even though I'm almost required to have one to contacted you victim or you dispatcher when I'm in the field. This why now there is case law as to the ability of a defense attorney being able to subpoena your personal cell phone records.

Even though I'm not guaranteed a lunch I don't get to write those off either. So when you see this burrito place or that hamburger joint give us a discount, it may just be because I paid for dinner last time but had to run before they gave it to me. (Although truthfully, I eat well and when I want to)

I don't get to work out on duty. This is why I think I dislike firemen. Cuz they are so dang lucky. Work out and you are healthier in the long run. I sure don't want to spend much time in the gym when I can be at home snuggling my little ones on the couch drinking a soda.

I CAN pull you over in a city I don't work in or on the freeway passing through my town. Most Chief's have a letter on file giving officers from other jurisdictions permission to assert their powers in their areas.

Lastly, I don't wear a gun on my hip on my days off because I think I look cool or because I want it to peep out from under my shirt. Truth be told if I could camouflage it any better I would but my gun has 15 bullets in it.

Things not known about your job

2011-03-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

1) We don't tell others what we do for a living. I'm normally a garbage collector driver (pun intended).
I've heard other say Musician because they have random hours and some just don't say anything at all.

2) I get to work at least a 1/2 hr before shift and I typically leave 1/2 an hr after (on a good day). And that's after a 12.5 hr day.

3) I buy my own gun ($800+), uniform ($200 per), sambrown ($65 + plus all the tool holders) (belt).

How about you? Dr's, do you buy your own stethoscope? Transcriptions, your own typewriter? Dispatchers, your own ear mic/headset?

Community

2011-03-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

I'm tired of having all these negative things to say about my job. But the bad guys, the good guys, heck everyone keeps giving me material.

So, I'm trying to schedule a demo at my kids school. Two friends are willing to volunteer their time we just need the "okay" and use of cars and such. So far, NADA!

And they wonder why our morale is so low.

Complaints

2011-03-02T00:10:00.000-08:00

Being a cop brings many things. Most of them are not pleasant. There are the dead bodies, the screaming from victims in fire engulfed cars, delivering 5 or 6 month old babies in an apartment with the AMR crew, chest compressions on the dead elderly guy after fire arrived to remove him from his burning house after 8 cops tried to rush into the liquid fire.

Those really aren't so bad. Then there are the dangerous encounters where you run into a bad guy at the grocery store while there with your family or while mowing your front yard as he moves into the rental across the street.

What really bothers me are the times I get complaints. Because at least at my department, no matter how far off or how close to past incidents ...they believe and remember them all. Even if fully exonerated.

I remember the time a 5150, previous customer of mine, complained to my department that I had made suggestive comments to her while arresting her. My department later learned that I was there with a partner who told a different story and that she made the same complaint the same day against two male and female CPS workers who had visited her at her home.

Or the time a lady came at me from her car and as I escorted her to the curb out of traffic, she tripped on her own breaking her own arm. (Witnessed by a passing motorist, who gave a statement) They still bring up the "lady who's arm I broke."

Or the complaint from a city worker (boss to be more specific) because I gave him a ticket for something he was doing in a city vehicle. I had to prove myself with my audio recordings even though the prior Internal Affairs Sgt (my boss) was on scene through most of it.

Those are what bother me and what I don't look forward to when I return to work in 4 weeks.

Christianity vs. being caught by the cops

2011-02-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I read a facebook post by a good acquaintance of mine. The post described how a bad day became worse when a cop gave her a speeding ticket. I feel sorry for her but then again my ticket writing cop nature comes out asking the question, "Where you speeding?"

A group of our mutual Christian friends began to comment on her post about how she should fight it. I then posted, "You are only fighting it because you didn't do it, right?"

I know this won't help the situation and I probably shouldn't be this blunt/bold on their rants, because had I gotten a ticket I'd be in the same boat wishing my $300+ could go to a better cause than the state budget.

But its got me thinking. Us Christian's, myself included, when do you throw in the towel and suck it up?
Is it ever right to fight the ticket in this case?

Curious where y'all out there stand. Religious or not!

I'll end with a speeding joke:
Speeding ticket

So a woman gets pulled over by a policeman for speeding while on the highway. The policeman asks "Ma’am, do you know why I pulled you over?" She responds "I have no idea, why?" The cop responds by telling her that she was pulled over for speeding and then asks her for her driver’s license. The woman told the officer that she didn’t have a driver’s license because she lost it due to multiple DUIs. The officer then asked for her car insurance, the lady said she didn’t have car insurance because she had stolen the car. The cop then proceeded to ask if she had anything hiding in the car anywhere. She then told the officer she had just murdered someone and there was a body in the trunk. At this point the officer called for backup and soon the entire force arrived including the Chief of Patrol. The chief walked up to the car and decided to handle the situation himself.

The chief asked the woman if she had stolen the car. She acted surprised and said that she did not, and showed him her car insurance. The chief then asked if he could see her license. Immediately the woman showed him her license. Finally the chief asked the woman if she could open her trunk. She complied and when the chief went to check, it was empty. Confused the chief went back to the woman and told her that his officer told him that she had stolen the car, didn’t have a license, and even had a body in the trunk. The woman laughed and said "I bet that liar told you I was speeding too!"

Surgery Rehab

2011-02-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

I've been off work for almost a year now. At first, this all started with an injury to my neck. Then my old knee injury decided to make a name for its self again and so I got both of them fixed. Its been 3 1/2 months since the neck surgery and that was a piece of cake compared to the knee.

The herniated/slipped disk in the neck is gone and I'm now fused together at the C5-6 level. I still have a stiff neck and a difficult time sleeping but the pain radiating through my shoulder and down my arms is gone. Thank God!

The knee also got fixed. Received an allograft acl and I'm 3 weeks out from that. What erks me about the knee more than the neck is the inability to obtain official orders of what I should be doing at certain increments. I pushed for Physical Therapy this week and scored. Had I not pushed I'm not sure where I'd be. During my first appointment with a very knowledgeable PT guy I received a reconstruction protocol. (See attached) within that protocol I should have seen PT days before surgery, on the day of surgery and about about 2 weeks after. Instead I'm seeing them for the first time at week 3.

I included the protocol in case anyone out in cyber world might like to see it.

Rookie Cop

2011-02-22T00:12:00.000-08:00

When I started in this job almost 10 years ago it was a different culture behind the badge. I remember being a boot and even during my worst sickness I didn't call in sick, for fear of all the jokes and fears of getting some negative reputation.

I remember eating my sack lunch on the trunk of the car during cold nights on graveyard while writing with a pencil in the other hand my long hand written narratives for reports. I always sat at the front of the room because the older, veteran, salty ones sat in the back. I had my unit checked out prior to going 10-8 (that means in-service and ready to work). My pendiflex was stuffed with ready to use files. My boots were polished and I wore a real leather sam brown duty belt and squish when I walked because of the leather luster that made my belt beam. It wasn't until my 1 year mark that I got the choice to change out of leathers to more lightweight belts such as the nylon belt I wear now. I remember the time when it was the boot who tried to handle every call no matter if they were all caught up or down 5-10 reports.

There were also times when I'd sit writing during lunch breaks at another restaurant table while my training officer shot the breeze with a fellow seasoned officer. I was to work but not be seen.

Now days, it seams that the rookie coppers are more "me" oriented. They wine and complain when they have to take a report. They wear nylon belts and even a baseball cap on rainy days. They sit almost wherever they wish during briefing and any type of initiation, ritual, or earning the respect of others is lost.

Where has this all gone?

Don't take me wrong. If I were a T.O. (training officer) I'd let lunch be lunch. We have enough stress that there has to be a down time, if you can call being in "Yellow alert" status down time. There needs to be a time where the rookie can glean valuable information from their FTO that isn't exactly about policy, paperwork or the law. It was those times that I learned the most. But in no way do I think a rookie should expect lunch, the text anyone during their shift - except in special circs- and never should they sit anywhere but in the front of the room during briefings.

I don't agree they should have to hand write everything, but do agree that by handwriting a document for a few times while getting to know the document is beneficial because you can learn what each specific box represents. Allowing you to write notes instead of just see it on a computer screen.

And with all that said, I think a rookie on their last shift on probation should not take a single report. He/She is so close to making a permanent thing at this tough life as a cop, the least they should be worried about is a complaint or conflict with a judgement call before becoming a true brother in blue. I do wish we had some type of graduation/initiation ceremony though. Something playful, maybe even down right ornery but not degrading. This, so they know that they have reached the end. They have joined a very special group of people that will watch each others back through think or thin.

Becoming a Police Officer

2011-02-09T01:39:00.000-08:00

There seams to be a lot of police-wife blogs out there and I've had the opportunity to read a few of them lately. Most are wives or girl-friends who are new to this thing called police work.

It got me thinking about how different us Police Officers are compared to other public service employees whom I respect a lot!

The biggest difference is that we don't want you knowing what we do for work. Except the boots (new coppers) who us old salty cops will beat into submission. For some reason, having a cop as a neighbor brings all the legal questions and hopeful request to have tickets written off. I don't remember the last time I asked the next door neighbor who is a garbage man, how to stack my trash next to the curb for pick up.

Also, if I'm working a night shift that leaves my family at home alone. You might start to say that Doctors, store clerks and even fire fighters do that too but you'd be missing the point. People don't target them and their families because of the jobs they have. -- That strange car across from the house at 2am your wife notices when checking on the crying new born may just be the local teenager getting his grove on down the street from his house or its scumbag husband you arrested at work a few days ago and he found the home address on Spokeo or even followed hubby home one morning from work and now he is lurking around your home while husband is protecting some other nearby city.

Then there are the dreams that usually come with the first few years of police work. Mine were a tad different than others. I never had the gun that didn't shoot or the bullet that dropped to the ground after firing it. Mine all included all my partners dying and me running out of ammo.

Or the other difference, in that my wife has to wake me with a 10ft pole now because I come up swinging.

These are all just the things we plan to happen to us. Not to mention the possible civil/federal lawsuits from our split second, in the dark, after court all day and no sleep, and the wife on our case, reactions to an unknown suspect doing something odd in front of us. OR.....

Or the fact that if I was a nice guy before, I will begin to trust no one. Everyone lies! I will become callus because that's the only way to deal with the murder last night of the baby boy who's mother slammed his head against the wall to make him stop crying. Or the guy swinging from the tree after hanging himself while you wait for hours watching him blow in the wind until the coroner can get there and cut him down.

People, none of these are stories I got from Southland. This is just a few stories from 1 week on the job.

Do you still want to be a police officer?
Do you think you can relate to your spouse better now knowing some of what he/she goes through and has to plan every min. of his/her day around?

Acquaintances

2011-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

I have many acquaintances. Few true, tried and trusted close friends. I have 571 "friends" on Facebook which I'm proud to say I know all of them personally. I however don't hangout with anyone. Maybe its because my wife has be attached to a ball and chain called our kids...(joke implied) or I just haven't found that person(s) to hang out with.

That makes it awkward when I truly need something. My two best buddies would do anything for me. And the closest one did most recently when he helped me put together the kids Christmas play set in the poring rain.

With all that said, tonight I put out on my facebook page that I'd really appreciate someone mowing my lawn. It's not a ghetto foot long alfalfa field because I mowed it just before the knee surgery for this very reason. But, it is getting longer and so I asked.

To my excitement, in less than an hour I had 3 offers to help. This after most of y'all had gone to bed and I was hitting the late night demographic. I was still astonished!

Day 4 post opt

2011-02-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Caution!

And to think that this is all fixed.

Surgery pic

2011-02-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

ACL reconstruction (allograft - cadaver),meniscus tear removal

Injury #2

2011-02-03T21:41:00.000-08:00

I am now the 6 million dollar man.

After my neck fusion surgery (IOD) in November I had my ACL (knee and not *exactly* work related so done privately) knee surgery today. Hurts bad, still bleeding through my gauze a little but its fixed finally.

Not back to work in a full capacity from the neck till maybe around June but back to a desk now soon as the new 6 million dollar man.

Detroit Police Release Video of Station Ambush - PoliceLink

2011-02-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Detroit Police Release Video of Station Ambush - PoliceLink

Need for a defense attorney

2011-01-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

Today became an interesting day. I had the unfortunate opportunity to have to check out criminal defense attorney for a friend in need.

Why is it so hard to find a good recommendation out there. Everyone is so afraid from the DA, police, public defender's offices to stick their necks out with a recommendation. I remember back in the day, old timers tell the stories about getting their back sides handed to them in court by a very smart defense attorney, only to have that attorney buy them lunch/dinner after the case was over and show them (the cop) how he could have done it better.

There is no love anymore.

What is wrong with us

2011-01-28T23:20:00.000-08:00

Cop gets shot, transported and a major man hunt for hours while the media crucifies ever tom/dick/harry the police pull over while looking for the bad guy and come to find out... School cop shot himself and then lied about it.

New Patch

2011-01-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning, my department has had 3 shoulder patches. I guess technically 5 if you count our SWAT patch and task force. The patches have been very different but each recruit, for the small amount of historical significance we make our boots learn, is to know about the current patch they wear on their shoulder.

So, for some unknown reason our city/department put out a request to the public to design a new patch. We now have 3 new ideas and our current one that the rank and file get to vote on... except me because we are in the stone age and can't take a pic or scan them to send it out in an email.

I haven't seen the entrees so there might be an awesome one but I'm not sure our society has changed enough to foster a patch change.

Woe is me

2011-01-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

I caught myself felling sorry for myself tonight. I was talking to a fella I know at work and he got me talking about how my 160+ person workforce had faltered in checking up on me.

I'll air that in a minute but I'd rather ask you a question to start.

When someone goes out on extended leave do you keep in contact with him/her?
Was it just for the first few days, weeks, months and you don't remember the last time you spoke to them?
Is the excuse that you don't normally talk to them? --that's the only excuse I like!

So my woe is me story: (Boring, but you can read)
So I went out injured in March. Since then I've endured painful tests, medicine that turned me homicidal, and a spine surgery that they had to check my libs afterwards to make sure the brain still was connected (if it ever really was in the first place).

After all that, I've had one LT contact me because he needed to check on something work related. One Lt. personally wanted to know how I was and about 4 fellow colleagues took time out of their day to check on me. None on the day of my surgery as I sat alone, 2 hrs from my home and family.

I find that very few, with a small exception, actually care or care enough to check.

I'll have their back in a gun fight any day still, but will I care when they need me to trade a day?

Lists:

2011-01-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

We plan for many things but we rarely plan to protect ourselves.

If you are even in a critical incident, do you know the 800 number to your Legal Defense Fund Attorneys?
If you are even injured on duty, do you know of the best Dr for your injury?

Most will say, "NO." I'd like to change that.

Your association isn't open 24 hours a day but you can send them an email or talk to a board member and get they 800# that you immediately store in your cell, just in case.

There are many Dr's and your colleagues are a good resource to find out who they liked. Just remember, they probably used the local guy that the work comp Dr sent them to. He might have been good but the cities insurance may have covered a more prestigious Dr who would have other more refined techniques and better resources to attack your condition. Don't be afraid to plan ahead.

Retirement

2011-01-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

A good question came from reader "Jay" when he asked in the last post about what I would do if I did somehow get to retire from this or any work injury.

Jay, honestly I have no clue. I have a bachelors (unlike most cops) but that doesn't help me at all. If I were to leave the police profession I would not want to be a security guard like I get so many suggestions on being. I've already been a guard and in no way would I want to go back to being SPAM.

I've had from 1-3 jobs at a time since the age of 8 so I know I can work but honestly, being a single income household and I accustomed to $80,000 a year, I'd be pushing for something similar.

So to end with, who knows!

Injured On Duty, also known as IOD

2011-01-17T00:48:00.000-08:00

As of March 2010, I've been injured from a work related incident. I've always talked smack about those guys who are off work for crazy lengths of time. Especially when I see them at Target or golfing and they don't "look" injured. Having been through it though, I have a new appreciation for the process. The PROCESS SUCK!

1) First there was the work comp. Dr who I saw for almost 3 weeks while he told me I had a "neck or shoulder sprain." He sent me to rehab and gave me 7 different (not all at once) pain meds. 1 of which made me Homicidal. I took myself of that against Dr's recommendation. I'd rather hurt than kill the wonderful wife I somehow scored.

2) Then the work comp Dr tries to refer me to a local back Dr. I had done my homework though and asked to be seen by a well respected specialist a few towns over. He couldn't see me for at least a month.

= if you are keeping track that's at least 2 months IOD already

3) I see the specialist and he suggests we wait and see. But also to not do too much because insurance companies sometimes video tape "injured" workers. I flat out told him I had a family and certain things had to get done in pain or not.

4) Then a disk-o-gram and at least 2 follow-up appointments with specialist who finally told me I had to make my own decision on what I'd like to do. a) take pain pills the rest of my life and just make work aware of it (oh I can see that in court after a shooting) b) surgery, c) wait more

5) I see a 2nd opinion in LA who just happens to be covered by work comp and is a fancy NFL...blah blah Dr. I'm not as impressed with his resume as I am with his 30 minutes of tests and his only recommendation on having surgery next week with him at the private hospital across the street.

= If you are still keeping track it took us 7 months to get here. Lots of 6 weeks of this or that.

6) Now I sit at 10 months after date of injury. I've had cervical (neck) surgery on my spine and I have about 5 more months of recovery still left.

Where does it end and how can we make it better? We can't. I'm even going through a private injury at the same time and although faster, Dr's want to hurry up and wait to let the swelling go down so they can truly see the injury. I suggested they drain it like I were an NFL star. They laughed!

Police vs. Fire

2011-01-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

Police vs. Fire

I'm hoping that some fire guys weigh in on this. If you know a fire guy/gal please ask them to.

Let me also start out with the disclaimer that I as a Cop get along quite well with Firemen. In fact my two best friends are just that, Firemen. Even though they get to sit on lazy boys, eat awesome home cooked meals and don't just get the middle finger waived at them after they have destroyed someones house with their axe, I could never do their job. Cathedral ladder raises, wearing all that get-up, no thanks!

Now that my love for them has a foundation I still can't understand why we can't get along sometimes.

As a patrol cop I'm always being dispatched to fires. I guess we are sent to help out, but most of the time I'm there many minutes before the engine/ladder/squad/BC arrive. I know when its just dryer heat in the cold morning air and when its FIRE. I've only made the mistake once and quickly corrected my observation. But it doesn't matter because if I tell them to cancel the balance or whatever I say, they still come. Or the many times of the ringing fire alarm. Because its protocol or my city is just bored, I know every engine is enroute. I cancel everyone but one engine to shut off the alarm but they all still come. Staging down the block in a row of trucks. This gives me times to jaw jack with my friends on the rigs but what gives?

Then there was the time I responded to a nasty fight at a local bar. I had multiple victims and one knocked out so bad I thought he was dead even after rubbing my knuckles over his sternum. I quickly notified my dispatch that I needed multiple ambulances. What I found out later from one of the fire Captains was that dispatch then asked him on the fire radio channel if they should dispatch multiple ambulances. The Captain said he didn't normally hear me order ambulances anyways so she should go ahead with the request. All I can say is, "what the heck?" I can see 5 victims, most broken in two by a fight with some nasty objects and I get second guessed?

Looking for some comments from my fire and dispatcher friends out there. Please have your friends comment too.

Congrats my friends!

2011-01-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

Some people have all the luck. Most I don't know and most I figure are stuck up, jerk head, snobs. That is not the case, as tonight I finally know some nice famous people.

The Whittaker Family won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Viral Video.

Congrats my friends. No more ride alongs for you, I'll have to bring security!

2011

2011-01-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Doctor Update and GIfts

2010-12-27T15:58:00.000-08:00

I see my neck doctor this week to see if the graft took and my spine/neck are doing as they should. As I've spent more time at his office I've had a chance to look over his many shadow boxes, framed pictures and mementos that his clients have given him. I guess its not enough that he charges us, we feel that we need to have a thanks on his wall too.

I've looked at signed jerseys, pictures from the likes of Cobe Bryant, Wayne Gretzky, Circ De Soleil performers and many others. So, I'm a no-buddy cop with little xtra cash and nothing special or famous name to give the doctor.

Even with that said I'm trying to come up with an idea and have even contacted a friend of mine who owns a graphic design studio.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to those who protect us today while we open gifts and spend time with our families.

Dr's and updates

2010-12-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

So the neck is getting better. I've taken it as slow as I can but have started to become a more normal person once again. I can even sleep at night. Thank goodness for that quality back. With that said, the ole' knee injury flared up and I'm now do for a reconstruction knee surgery in the next few months.

All my meds from the neck surgery that I only took a few of are now going towards the knee pains. I totally feel like the glass man as its one thing after the other. Even thought that's happening it not that that is bugging me.

So I go see the knee Dr. a week ago. I had to wait 2 weeks even though urgent care put in a STAT order for me to see the surgeon. I had heard good things about the doctor. So, I arrived early, brought ever past MRI and post surgery report from my other knee surgeries and then I sat. When he arrived I told him this test and that test in urgent care were positive but this other test was negative.

Yes, I used the name of the test because I know generally about each one and what exactly that are looking for. I wasn't showing off but was trying to inform the Dr. so he could make a better diagnosis. He however didn't want to see the past reports, MRI and he pushed to the side my personal thoughts on what I thought was injured due to my past experience.

I then got an MRI, that night in fact because I was a squeaky wheel at the MRI location. Dr, read MRI in 3 days and says I need surgery but I have to wait 2-3 months because they are all booked.

So then I pulled what I thought was the trump card. I'm a COP, does that make a difference. I didn't mean I'm cooler than everyone else. I meant, I'm a public servant and I'm going to have a 6 month rehab so why the freak are you not bumping this public servant up the list so I can get back to safe guarding your lives and property. But NO! NO Love.

Fired

2010-12-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

Come one come all. Or was it, fire one and fire them all? Either way, my department "separated" themselves from another fellow employee of mine.

I don't have a handle on all that's up with that employee but I have a feeling its related to the last "separation."

How to tell where a cop works

2010-12-16T09:06:00.001-08:00

How to Tell Where a Cop works:

Narcotics
-Immediately grow facial hair, tell everybody you were ordered to.
-Start watching every episode of Monster Garage.
-Buy a biker wallet with a big chain.
-Make every case involve overtime $$$.
-Buy bunches of boats, RV's, and motorcycles with that overtime.
-Learn to play golf drunk.

SWAT
-Wear team T-shirts, Oakley sunglasses and boots everyday.
-Try to fit the word breach in to every conversation.
-Have a mirror handy to check hair, if you have hair.
-Never say hello to anyone who is not an operator, just practice your SWAT head nod.
-Subscribe to Soldier of Fortune and Muscle and Fitness.
-Learn to play golf wearing a gun.

Community Service units
-Hate SWAT.
-Work to make everybody love you.
-Paint your office in pastel colors.
-Think Feng Shui.
-Subscribe to Psychology Today.
-Learn to play miniature golf.

Traffic units
-Write tickets to EVERYBODY.
-Spend every weekend cleaning your bike and polishing boots.
-Annoy everyone on the radio calling out your stops.
-Talk about nothing but how many tickets you wrote in one day.
-Ride by a building with big windows to see your reflection.
-Golf is lame, motor rodeos are cool.

K-9 Units
-Become sadistic.
-Show pictures of your latest dog bite.
-Brag about your largest drug find.
-Smell like a dog.
-Workout 3 times a day.
-Show off your bruises.

Administrative Units
-Three-hour lunches everyday, tell everybody it's a "meeting."
-Upgrade department cell phone every month.
-Tell everybody you are published in a national law enforcement magazine.
-Update your revenge list on a weekly basis.
-Golf Rules! Play lots of golf.

Patrol Units
-Has nerves of steel.
-In a terminal state of nausea from department politics.
-Inability to keep mouth shut.
-Has defining tastes in alcohol.
-Is respected by peers.
-Beats the crap out of his caddy on any bogeyed shot.

FTO
-Automatically grasps the door handle until knuckles turn white when car is put in gear.
-Considers a multiple-victim homicide in progress a "good training opportunity" and asks to take primary.
-Considers less than three hours of OT to be a quiet day.

Detectives
-Come in at 0800.
-"Breakfast" from 0815 to 1030.
-Work from 1030 to Noon.
-Noon to 1400 Work out and Lunch.
-1400-1700 Sit in CID and talk about how many girlfriends you have and how the wife doesn't know. Plan your next RV, fishing, motorcycle trip.

Patrol Sergeant
-Remembers very well "how we used to do do it."
-Always willing to tell his officers the above.
-Tries to fit the word "liability" in to every sentence.
-Talks about "what he's hearing from upstairs."

Trainee
-Unable to grow facial hair.
-Watches every episode of Cops.
-Worships the ground the SWAT guys walk on.
-Arrives for work three hours early.
-Thinks the sergeant is thrilled to see him.
-Won't drink on the golf course because it violates the open container ordinance.

New Corrections Officers
- Show up for work 15 minutes early.
- Buy only the best ink pens (Pilot G-2).
- Wear T-Shirts of your "dream department" under your uniform.
- Wear a full duty belt of gear even though you have to remove everything when you arrive at the facility.
- Become friends with every local police officer.

Defensive Tactics Instructors
-Starts stretching before making arrest.
-Can spend hours debating the advantages of RCB vs. straight stick.
-Has spent more than $50 on a wood baton.
-Giggles when a suspect starts to resist.

Firearms Instructor
- Responds to every question/statement with the word, 'huh?'
- Has a % lead/blood level higher than the current Chief's approval rating.
- Operates under the assumption that the more beer you drink, the more of that lead leaves your system.
- Thinks a new tactical handgun is a great Christmas gift for the wife/girlfriend.
- Has an image of a custom 1911-A1 for a screen-saver.
- Wears the latest high-tech electronic hearing protectors during normal conversation.

Author Unknown

11-99.....Officer Down

2010-12-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

This officer unfortunately died because of the wounds the POS did to him. I'm not going to describe how bad it was but lets just say that if you were the officers who responded to find a fellow in his condition, you would either freeze or scream. For what its worth, I'm proud of my fellow cops being able to hold it together so well. Just shows you that we didn't ticket you, arrest you, bother you, just because you overwhelmed us.

Here is the 29min recording of the incident. At :40 is when things hit the fan and 2:00 is when you hear the dreaded 11-99. For those cops who use other codes, that means....."Holy Crap!"

Sorry the counter doesn't have the running clock. First 10 min is enough.

Pay it Forward

2010-11-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

Sitting at home doing nothing gives me time to read every email from work and think about the how we help out. The most recent email talked about a toy drive our police department was doing this weekend. We have done this event for years and people have started to take advantage of the situation. So much so that people were driving in from far away, even showing up in Navigators, H2 Hummers, all to get a handout. We now require pre-registration and proof they live in our city.

That brought to mind a story I've never shared.

About 2 years ago I responded to a middle aged males call for assistance after he found his mother dead in her car in the driveway. It was clear she had just dropped her friend off up the street, pulled into the driveway, pulled the trunk release, got one foot out the drivers door and then died.

The son, who lived with his mother found her and was having an obvious hard time. Nothing I could help with as I stood with him. While making small talk with him as we passed the time, I intentionally learned his favorite meal (Spaghetti). I then had the fortunate opportunity to talk to his neighbors who relayed to me that he was a good upstanding guy. There was just something about this guy that I couldn't let go.

So... the wife helped me out and we made from scratch Spaghetti. Lots of it and the next week I delivered it to his home. His handshake meant more than any at-a-boy any boss could give me. Its been a while since I last saw him, as soon as I'm back at work I'll make a point to stop by.

What have you done lately?

In trouble at work

2010-11-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

If you have never been a policeman, fire fighter, heck even an ambulance driver, you have no idea the situations we can get ourselves into.

If you know a policeman, fire fighter, ambulance driver, this is not the post to really be asking them about, because you probably won't get an honest answer.

In my line of work, there are times you become connected with someone at work. Not all of them are bad connections but all need to have the spotlight of a concerned friend shined down on them at all times.

I remember once responding to a robbery with a gun at a local Subway. When I arrived I found a friend of mine barely holding it together. As I watched the surveillance footage I learned why.

I remember helping a couple families through hard times with their teens. I've watched their problem children grow up into responsible adults and others into hardened criminals.

There are times when we respond to the strip club or deal with that Halloween or bro/hoe party with subjects who are wearing next to nothing.

99% of the time its just a job and you jump back in your patrol car and speed off to the next call. Sometimes, someone gets caught up in that 1%. This brings me to an acquaintance of mine named Shaun Groves. He posted here about how he handles being on the road as a musician and how he protects himself and his loved ones.

Let me encourage you all to find a way to not just serve and protect. We have other things we need to protect too!

Ecclesiastes 4:12 - A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Holiday O.T.

2010-11-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

Once again this year, my department is behind the ball as they plan for black friday.

A couple years ago, myself and 2 of my buddies talked the bosses into letting us work O.T. at the large shopping center in our town that has everything from Bestbuy, Target, Sports Authority, to Borders, Kohls, Toysrus, Game Works and many others who have lines as long as an eye can see the morning of black friday.

What we did that first year is to sit at the security desk in front of Bestbuy and they pointed out theves who we promptly nabbed before they stole from the store. We empties their pockets of loot and after FI'ing them, send them on their way. It kept the reports short and the business lost a lot less because we wern't stuck responding from our patrol assignments and/or we wearn't arresting every single person thus making us too busy to deal with the others.

I've formally reminded them about this awsome procedure and last year I got the O.T. again but without approval to be as proactive as we had previously.

That brings us to this year. Now I'm home injured but I still get all the emails for requests for O.T. This year the O.T. starts at 4am. Funny, cuz as I understand it, a lot of the places are opening as eary as midnight to 3am. So I guess they will be behind the ball once ariving at work. SILLY! But, I'm done trying to help them out.

Call a cop

2010-11-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

It amazes me at the things people ask me. What amazes me is that their questions assumes I get an instant text message once something goes down. Even crazier is when people ask me about something currently going on in another city, supposing I'll know something.

Truth, there are times I'll hear something afterwards. Truth, is when I am not at work... I'm not at work.

Tonight I got this question, "Hey a bunch of cop cars just went past my house with lights and sirens on. Know whats going on?"

Wal-Mart

2010-11-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

First, go buy a $50 iTunes gift card from Wal-Mart for only $35. Its a special in stores deal only while supplies last. The reason I'm telling you all is 1) I hate walmart, 2) I just had to argue with 4 employees and 1 store manager at my local store to get the deal that walmart.com is offering yesterday and today only.

Walmart Just scroll right in the center "Amazing Electronics Event" box.

While I'm out

2010-11-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today I'm having surgery at a hospital that prides themselves on servicing patients from the NFL, NHL, NBA and many other acronyms. So, if this is my last post start going to less "prestigious" hospitals.

On another note. After writing about my friends shooting I started to go off on a tangent about reporting but deleted it and think I'll put that opinion here.

Lately, I have read about incidents police have been involved in. Some, the officer was fired, others were just routine policing that made the news. In those articles I had a hard time finding true investigative reporting.

Back in the day, Lee Stroble investigated stories. Heck, Mark Fuhrman from the OJ Trial even works for Fox News now and he says that Fox is the only service still doing true investigations. I'll agree that its just opinion now.

Then you get the mopes that comment in replies to the editor or on their Internet sites. Comments about how the cops were rude, bad, or law breakers. Most are written by "anonymous." I don't mind a voiced opinion, but come on people.

Do you really think I responded to a call of a drunk at your shopping center, a robber at your apartment, or a shoplifter at your neighborhood store only to want to get into a shooting with the suspected bad guy.

Oh and that's another thing. They are the alleged bad guys, but I'm the cop that shot a guy without a gun (even though one was found). At least give me the same credit and say, "allegedly."

Funny new blog

2010-10-29T23:01:00.001-07:00

A funny new blog. "In the time it took me to pee..." is a comedic blog about what kids get into while we as parents rush to the bathroom to take care of business.

Officer Involved Shooting

2010-10-27T21:39:00.002-07:00

So a friend and colleague of mine was in an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) this past week. When one is involved in one of these things you become a kind of outcast for a little while.

You are ordered not to talk about it, for liability but also investigative reasons too. You are given paid days off and after being debriefed for hours with reps and attorneys you get to go home. I didn't make that enough of a big deal.

There are your attorneys, the cities, the District Attorney, the civil investigators, the criminal investigators, your union rep, just to name a few. After all this you go home.

Then people call you, text, email. With what?

Good job? - Kinda rude it seams even in a clear cut case.

Call me if you need me? - I've said this but have never been called. Being hurt I hear this sometimes. I don't call because I'm a big boy, I don't need your help. So really this is a waisted contact.

Calling the person you don't normally call and beating around the elephant in the room?

It seams to me that there are no right answers. Imagine if it was a questionable shooting. How much worse and alone do the shooters, or shooter feel. How can we change it? It's definitely not by the editorials that come out in the paper with shoddy info and lame anti-police opinions.