Friday, December 31, 2010
A1s first solo go kart ride
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The week on patrol, November 15-19, 2010
I trained four nights this week and we rode my regular patrol numbers. Then on Friday I was back in the helicopter taking more pictures.
After we signed on to our computer Monday night, the first thing that jumped out at me was the number of patrol units in my beat for the night. We had 7, which is amazing! It was a Monday night and we would have been fine with 3, but it was still nice to see. There are many nights when we have 7 total units in the district which includes 4 more beats. We volunteered for a burglary of a motor vehicle report in another beat. The owner of the vehicle had no idea how the suspect had entered his vehicle. All of the windows were still intact. He thought that he had locked the doors, but had just about talked himself into believing that he had left then unlocked by mistake. I let D look around a little to see if he could find how they entered. He had no idea as well. Then I showed them a little hole just under the passenger side door handle. The suspect took a screwdriver or something similar and punched a hole just beneath the door handle and this unlocked the vehicle. It is quick, quiet, and very effective. The vehicle was a Ford truck.
Our first call on Tuesday night was a loud noise at a small apartment complex. There were 8 units in the complex and the loud music was disturbing 7 of them. The music coming from the one unit was very loud. We knocked, and no one came to the door. A neighbor stepped out and said that they had seen the resident leaving earlier in the evening. So there was nothing that we could do. We can not kick in a door for loud music. We recommended that they call the landlord who could come and open the door and turn off the music. I looked at the power meters to see if I could tell which one serviced that apartment. Briefly shutting off power to the apartment would probably turn off the music, but unfortunately the meters were not labeled with apartment numbers.
A little later, we pulled over a Jeep that had a few Texans stickers on the back window, but nothing out of the ordinary. In the vehicle were two females. The driver was all done up and dressed head to toe in Texans gear. The passenger looked like she had just woken up and had not bothered to change clothes. D got her driver’s license and proof of insurance and we returned to the patrol vehicle. I asked D for the license, and the picture looked exactly like the passenger. I thought that was a little strange. We returned to the Jeep. Turns out that the females were identical twins. We did indeed have the driver’s real license. It just so happened that when she got her picture taken for her license, she was not looking her best. The driver was a Texans cheerleader on her way home from an appearance. She asked if we wanted posters, and I said that D would love a poster (D had been silent this entire time, he had no idea what to say). She signed a poster for D and then asked if I wanted one. I said that my son, A1, would like a poster. She signed one for A1 as well. Her sister said that she was hoping to make the squad next year so that she could cheer with her twin. Maybe they would inspire the Texans to a few more wins?
After the traffic stop, we checked by with units on an assault in progress at a nearby restaurant. Three males were eating together. One of them decided to shoot video of his buddy eating using his cell phone. The buddy asked him to stop and he refused. It escalated into a physical fight and a table was shoved tearing a hole in a wall. After the fight, the males left, but were stopped nearby by another unit based on the vehicle description in the call slip. The restaurant could not decide if they wanted to press charges for the damage. Eventually, information was exchanged and a report was generated by the primary unit. Hopefully, the guy with the video fetish will refrain from shooting video of his buddy while he is eating in the future.
Our last call of the night was a stolen vehicle recovery. When a vehicle that has been reported stolen is found, we have to do a supplemental report to the original report stating that the vehicle has been found and is no longer missing. When that report hits the system, it takes the stolen hit off of the license plate. Recovery calls are usually called in by wrecker drivers who find abandoned vehicles and call them into our call center. The call taker runs the plate and it comes back stolen and they dispatch us to do a recovery. This call was not like that. An owner had reported his vehicle stolen the day before and then miraculously found it the next day. He found the vehicle a few blocks away from where he reported it stolen. I think that he was intoxicated the night before, and could not find his vehicle after leaving a club. Either way, we still have to do a recovery.
Wednesday night started with a few regular traffic stops. Then we checked by with another unit who had a possible unlawful carrying of a weapon case. A man left his business and was driving home in his Lexus. He had a blow out on the freeway and pulled over onto the shoulder. In the city, there is a program where certified wreckers will get a stalled vehicle off of the freeway at no cost to the vehicle owner. It is called the Safe Clear program, and it is not optional to the vehicle owner. If the vehicle breaks down on the freeway, whether in a moving lane or not, certified wreckers can pick up the vehicle and get it safely off of the freeway. Back to our Lexus with the blow out, a wrecker pulled in front of the Lexus to pick it up. The driver got out and said that he would prefer a flat bed wrecker. The wrecker driver called for one and he arrived a short time later and pulled up behind the Lexus. The Lexus driver exited his vehicle again, but this time he had a pistol in his hand which was down at his side. He did not threaten anyone or point it at anyone. The wrecker drivers saw the pistol and retreated to their trucks and called for the police. Officers arrived and the Lexus driver was taken into custody without incident.
The Lexus driver told D and I that he was a business owner and that he carried large amounts of cash and vehicle titles with him on a usual basis. That is why he carried a pistol. He did not have a concealed handgun license. It is legal in the state to carry a firearm concealed in your vehicle. It gets into a gray area when you exit the vehicle with the pistol in your hand. I called the district attorney’s office. They were reluctant to take charges because the pistol was legally in the vehicle and the vehicle was about to be towed, and you can not expect the man to leave the pistol in the vehicle when it is about to be towed. I countered with he did not have to have it in his hand down by his leg. I think that he was trying to intimidate the wrecker drivers so that he could use his preferred tow truck company. The DA did not see it that way. The Lexus driver was released and his pistol was returned to him (we locked it in his trunk) and then D wrote a detailed report. Sometimes when charges seem certain, the DA disagrees.
Later, we checked by with B and his rookie who had been dispatched to a major accident. A car being driven by a federal agent had pulled out into the path of a motorcycle. The motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet and was transported to the hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. The agent said that he had looked in the direction that the motorcycle had come from and had not seen anything. The area is very well lit and traffic was very light at the time of the accident. The agent said he was coming from a nearby gas station where he had just picked up a “friend.” I think that the agent was in a hurry to get some privacy and had been distracted while driving by his “friend.” Texting is not the only distracting activity in a vehicle.
We started Thursday night with a few traffic stops. On our second stop, the driver was intoxicated. He had two prior DWI arrests on his record. A DWI task force unit made the scene. D watched and listened as the task force officer interviewed the driver and then conducted the standardized field sobriety tests. The driver was arrested and transported to the station for processing buy the task force unit. While the tests were being conducted on the scene, a man approached and said that he was a friend of the driver. Apparently, the driver had called him and asked him to come pick him up after we stopped him. I told him that he was a good friend, but his buddy was going to jail.
Our last call of the night was a minor accident on the roof of an apartment complex’s parking garage. Two females came to the complex to attend a small party in an apartment. When they came back to their vehicle (Mercury Grand Marquis), they discovered that it had been hit by another vehicle. It had been struck hard enough to move it 5 feet and it would not start. They were pretty upset that it would not start since it looked like the vehicle was driveable otherwise. I noticed the kind of car it was and told the driver to pop open the trunk. In the trunk I found the fuel shut off valve and reset it. I told her to try to start the vehicle and it started. A Mercury Grand Marquis is just fancier version of the Crown Victoria police crusier that we drive. At the academy during the driver’s training, they told us about the fuel shut off valve since there was a chance we would spin out and the car would die and not restart. They were very happy that the vehicle was now operational, but also upset that someone would hit their vehicle and then drive off without leaving any information. Whoever hit them was probably drunk, and drunk people do not make sound decisions.
Friday night I was back at the helicopter hanger. I went on two flights and took more pictures of the city and the busy club areas. I had another great time up in the bird and got some good pictures at the same time.
That concludes another week on patrol.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Getting closer
What is "America's Music"? Dixie? Might be if MIssissippi is the birthplace of America's music.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
With a view
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Rotunda
Outside the factory
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Our home for the night
The adventure begins
Getting close to Greenville
Finally, some rest for the weary
It is amazing how people do not listen to simple instructions. They said the flight was full, so please do not put jackets in the overhead compartments. We watched every other person put a jacket up there, only to be removed later by others trying to find room for bags. Jen survived take off and was able to get a little rest on the flight.
There was an alternative couple one row ahead of us on the flight with two young kids. Our OCD kicked in when while playing with the toddler, she (the mom) put the pacifier in her own mouth and then later put the bottle in her own mouth. It was interesting to say the least.
Friday, December 10, 2010
The week on patrol, November 8-12, 2010
This week D and I were the print unit four nights and I got to take a ride on Friday.
Monday started off with some good news. B really wants to be a firearms instructor with our department. He has taken numerous steps to prepare himself for that role, including becoming a certified police instructor, and taking an armor’s class so that he can repair pistols. He is an excellent marksman with a good work ethic and an easy going manner. Recently, the indoor firearms range at the academy posted an opening. He interviewed and was awarded the spot. He will be an excellent instructor and an asset to the indoor range. I am very happy for him, while being bummed at the same time. We have become good friends and I will miss working with him. (Since he was told that he had the position, the Command staff have yet to approve his transfer. Hopefully, he will get to move soon.)
For our first call of the night, D and I checked by with B and his rookie on a burglary of a residence. A single man had purchased an older one story bungalow and then really fixed up the place. He left for work in the morning, and when he returned home discovered that his place had been burglarized. The suspect had thrown a small boulder through the smallest window in the house. That window happened to be in the master bathroom. When the boulder landed, it took a huge chunk out of the granite countertop. Then the suspect used his bare hands to remove the shards of glass from the window and he sat them in a neat pile it on the ground. He then climbed through the window and went through most of the drawers in the master bedroom and closet. An Apple laptop was the only item stolen. I examined the pieces of glass and found a few that had some good fingerprints on them. I took out my kit and was able to lift the prints from the broken glass. Hopefully, the prints will lead to a suspect.
During one of our traffic stops that night, as soon as D got to the driver’s side window, before he had a chance to say anything, the female driver asked for a warning. D had not experienced this tactic in the past and did not know how to respond. He recovered quickly enough, and told her why she was stopped and then asked for her driver’s license and proof of financial responsibility (insurance). She could not find her insurance card. She went on to say that she did not see the signs prohibiting the left hand turn at the intersection. She was trying to avoid a ticket, and who can blame her? D ended up giving her a warning, in the form of a citation for an illegal left turn and no proof of insurance.
Tuesday started off with a few uneventful and mundane traffic stops. D is getting the hang of how to make a safe traffic stop at night. Figuring out how and where to park, working the lights, radio, and computer is a little overwhelming in the beginning. And all of that is before even talking to the driver.
A few hours into the shift, my Sergeant asked us to check by with him and another unit on a domestic violence assault. The call was in the other district covered by my station, and D did a good job of finding the location. We arrived to find a female wearing a yellow jogging suit. At first glance, she appeared a little ‘fluffy’ around the middle. Turned out that she wasn’t fluffy, just in need of some support. After she told me her story, I understood why she was less than fully dressed. She said that her husband has been abusing her physically and psychologically throughout their entire marriage (5 years). He does not let her attain financial independence, going so far as to getting her fired from a few jobs. He wants her to have to depend upon him so that he can continue to abuse her. She had not reported anything in the past. This particular incident had been going on for two days. The only reason it stopped was because he literally threw her out of the house. She ran away to a local business and called the police. Since it had been going on for a couple of days, her bruises were severe. I took photos of all of the bruises that she felt comfortable showing. While I was dealing with her, other officers went to the house and took the husband into custody. Hopefully she will be able to make a clean break from him.
Wednesday night started out with the dog stuck in the fence that I previously wrote about. A short time later, we responded to an alarm at a local Christian school. We arrived to find the key holder on the scene. There was an open window in the little gym and an unlocked door in another building. We checked the building and did not find anyone inside. The key holder then walked through and did not notice anything missing. All of the computers and flat screen televisions were accounted for. He said that he had been having a problem with a homeless male that slept by the little gym. He did not mind him sleeping there, but he did mind him using that area as a restroom. D gathered all of his information and wrote the report.
In the middle of the shift we were asked to check by with a few units who responded to an assault in progress. The units were dispatched to the an intersection in the alternative lifestyle bar section of the district. They arrived to find four males, one of whom was bleeding, standing next to a car that had been absolutely mauled. Every window had been shattered and every panel had been dented with a tire iron. The suspects had even climbed onto the vehicle and jumped up and down on the hood and trunk. The owner of the vehicle had been hit in the face a few times by the suspects, luckily not with the tire iron. The owner of the vehicle told us that an argument had started between his group of friends and the suspects in a nearby bar. The owner of the car and his friends decided to leave that bar and walked to his car. Right when they arrived at the vehicle, the suspects pulled up in their vehicle, jumped out, and commenced the beat down. I took photos of the owner and his vehicle. Sometimes, seemingly minor arguments lead to major assaults and more.
D and I were the print unit again on Thursday. We checked by on a burglar alarm at a furniture store. The furniture store’s alarm provided real time audio to the alarm company and they could hear voices saying, “hurry up” and “grab that.” So, we knew someone was inside. Units were at the store within a minute of receiving the call. The front door had been shattered, but the suspects were gone. Later, the alarm company told us that voices of the suspects stopped about a minute before we arrived. Close, but not close enough. The suspects were after flat screen televisions. They tried to rip one off of the wall, and only succeeded in breaking it and leaving fingerprints all over it. I was able to lift some prints from the broken television. The suspects took one flatscreen off of an entertainment center. When they took off with it, the power cord stayed plugged into the wall, and came unplugged from the television. So, they have a television without a power cord.
This was Veteran’s Day, and our first traffic stop was, yup, a member of the military. She was an Army reservist and had recently gotten home from drill. She had made an illegal left turn, had an expired registration, and an expired inspection sticker. She was a easy ticket waiting for a writer. However, I could not bring myself to let D write her a ticket on Veteran’s Day. That did not stop me from harassing her about her driving and stickers, but in the end I thanked her for her service.
Friday night was a special treat. Earlier in the week, I had been approached by a Supervisor asking if I would take a few photographs for him. Our city is hosting a major sporting event in a few months and he had been tasked with developing a man power plan for our station for the event. So, he thought pictures of the area would be helpful. He wanted me and another officer to go up in our helicopters and take photos of the busy nightlife areas covered by our station. I did not have to be asked twice. I showed up at the Air Support hanger Friday night with my camera. I had to watch an introductory video and then sign a few forms. I was given ear plugs and a headset. A cold front was coming in that night, so they put the doors on the helicopter. They said that they usually fly without them. I climbed into the backseat and strapped in. There was not much room, and the seat was only about 12 inches off of the floor so my knees were in my chest. The pilot asked if I had flown in a helicopter before, and when I said, “no” told me where to find the barf bag, just in case.
They used a mobile generator to start the bird, and shortly thereafter we were in the air. Our first call was to assist officers responding to a burglary of a residence in progress. We were close and were soon doing tight circles over the area. The helicopter was circling to the right and I was sitting on that side. The helicopter was pitched quite a bit to that side I thought. Without the doors on, it would felt like I was suspended in mid air. The observer (passenger seat who runs the computer, light, and FLIR system) was using the “sun” (the large spot light on the helicopter) to light up the area around the house for the officers. After a few circles, the pilot asked me if I was alright. Thankfully, I was doing great. The circles did not bother me at all. Throughout the 105 minute flight, we checked by with other ground units. Unfortunately there were not any vehicle chases during the flight. When we were not checking by, they flew over the areas that I needed to photograph. I got some good photos of the area as well as some other great shots of the city at night. I went up in the next fight as well. It was a great experience.
That concludes another week on patrol.
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