Silent Partner

I am a Police Officer; my background includes six years of service in the Marine Corps and a few years as a Police Officer with a northern Virginia agency. Training for the Virginia agency required I complete a five month criminal justice academy. I worked in the county jail in a correctional capacity. My current position required the successful completion of a five month academy as well. After which, I went through a fourteen week field training program. The first two weeks consisted of nothing but book work. We reviewed all of the agency's policies and the frequently used laws. This was also the time we were taught defensive driving and all about our "tools" of the trade. My "tools" include a 9mm Beretta handgun, an expandable baton, pepper spray, handcuffs, and a Remington shotgun. The next twelve weeks I rode alongside six field training officers, each for a period of two weeks. Field Training Officers are supposed to let you do "your thing", then evaluate you on your performance. Some jump in on every situation. It's like their egos force them to take control of the situation. Others sit back and watch without saying a word. They let you sink and drown and never offer a rope. The best are those that allow you to handle the situation and offer constructive criticism along the way. Needless to say, I longed for the day to be "cut loose".- Then, one day it happened. I was given a car, some equipment, and a badge and told to go out on my own. It was an unbelievable feeling. My first day on my own I mostly just sat in my car wondering what, if anything, I should be doing. I think I failed to respond on several occasions when calls were dispatched in my area. It's difficult training your ear and brain to be conscious of the radio traffic 24/7 and to respond when your unit number is called. I've been at it for a little while now. I guess you can still consider me a rookie. Since entering this profession, people frequently ask exactly what it is that I do on a daily basis. These journals will chronicle my daily law enforcement activities and provide some insight into the "mind of an Officer". Hopefully, you'll get to know me as a person as well. Lets take a peek inside Silent Partner Law Enforcement Adventures… Journal Key D= Dispatched Call S= Self Initiated Call BU= Back Up for another Officer W/M= White Male B/M = Black Male H/M= Hispanic Male W/F= White Female B/F= Black Female H/F= Hispanic Female YO= Year Old FG= Friend Girl All journal Entries are listed by date and are in military time, enjoy! I WENT TO EAT AGAIN. I STARTED WORKING ON SOME MORE PASTA AND PIZZA WHEN I WAS DISPATCHED AN EMERGENCY CALL…I TOSSED MY FOOD IN THE TRASH (AGAIN) AND JUMPED IN THE CRUISER. THE SCREEN IN MY CAR FLASHED A BRIGHT RED, INDICATING AN IN PROGRESS CALL. MY ADRENALINE STARTED PUMPING AS I RUSHED THROUGH INTERSECTION AFTER INTERSECTION DODGING VEHICLES. THE SIREN BLARED IN THE BACKGROUND AS I KEYED THE MIC AND ASKED THE DISPATCHER FOR MORE INFORMATION. I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WAS GETTING INTO THIS TIME… 0120 - (D) DISTURBANCE THE DISPATCHER ADVISED THERE WAS A FIGHT IN PROGRESS IN THE FRONT PARKING LOT OF A RESTAURANT. - UPON ARRIVAL, ABOUT THREE OTHER OFFICERS AND I MADE CONTACT WITH A COUPLE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. ON ONE SIDE WAS THREE W/MS. ON THE OTHER WAS A GROUP OF MALES AND FEMALE EMPLOYEES. THE MANAGER (B/M, 30'S) CALLED AT THE REQUEST OF ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES. THE EX-BOYFRIEND OF AN EMPLOYEE (W/F, 27) CAME UP TO THE RESTAURANT TO SEE HER. HE WAS INTOXICATED AND SO WERE THE TWO FRIENDS THAT HE BROUGHT WITH HIM. HE INSISTED ON HER TALKING TO HIM AFTER SHE'D REFUSED TO DO SO. HE PREVENTED HER FROM GETTING INTO HER VEHICLE AND WOULD NOT LET HER LEAVE. - THE W/F ADMITTED TO POSSIBLY LEADING HIM ON. HER FRIENDS AND FELLOW EMPLOYEES APPROACHED THE EX-BOYFRIEND AND HIS FRIENDS IN DEFENSE OF THE W/F. - AFTER DETERMINING THAT NO CRIME HAD OCCURRED, WE TRESPASSED THE "EX" AND THE HIS TWO BUDDIES FROM THE PREMISES AND TOLD THEM NOT TO CONTACT THE W/F IN THE FUTURE. - WE ADVISED THE W/F TO OBTAIN SOME TYPE OF PROTECTION ORDER AGAINST THE W/M IF SHE SO DESIRED. SHE SAID AFTER THEY BROKE UP, SHE CONTINUED TO BE HIS FRIEND AND THEY CONVERSED REGULARLY ON THE PHONE. SHE SAID THAT AFTER THE EVENTS OF THAT DAY, THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS DEFINITELY OVER. 0500 - I WENT TO A HOTEL TO USE THE RESTROOM. I CAME OUT TO FIND A FLAT TIRE ON MY CRUISER. I JUST HAD A FLAT ABOUT A WEEK EARLIER. I UTILIZED MY SPARE AT THAT TIME AND PLACED THE FLAT IN THE TRUNK. I NEVER TOOK IT TO OUR GARAGE TO HAVE IT FIXED, SO NOW I HAD TWO FLATS. - THREE OF MY SQUAD PARTNERS CAME OVER TO ASSIST ME (OR LAUGH AT ME). THAT'S TEAMWORK. ONE OF THEM GAVE ME THEIR SPARE AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK ONE OF MY FLATS TO THE GARAGE. HE DIDN'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN A SIMILAR PREDICAMENT. I NEVER LEARN. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE SECOND FLAT TO THE GARAGE THE FOLLOWING DAY. I ENDED UP JUST LEAVING MY CRUISER THEIR FOR REPAIRS THAT IT'S NEEDED FOR MONTHS. (YOU HATE TO GIVE UP YOUR ASSIGNED, TAKE-HOME CAR. ONCE YOU DO, IT'S TIME FOR THE "POOL CAR BLUES." THE CIVILIAN EQUIVALENCY IS LIKE RENTING A CAR FROM AL'S RENT-A-WRECK. IF YOU DROP SOME CHANGE INTO THE SEATS AND REACH DOWN TO RETRIEVE IT, YOU'RE LIKELY TO WITHDRAW A CHICKEN BONE OR FRENCH FRY. PEOPLE SIMPLY DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEM AS THOUGH THEY WERE THEIR OWN. IN ADDITION, THE MECHANICS AT THE GARAGE ARE OVERWORKED AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK FOR AN ESTIMATE AS TO WHEN YOUR VEHICLE WILL BE RETURNED. FOR THIS REASON, OFFICERS HANG ON TO THEIR ILL-FUNCTIONING VEHICLES FOR AS LONG AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN. I WENT TO A GAS STATION PARKING LOT TO WORK ON MY REPORT. THE CLERK (F, 21, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC) WALKED UP TO MY CAR. (I'VE SPOKEN TO HER IN MY COMING AND GOINGS OVER THE PRIOR MONTH OR SO THAT SHE'D BEEN EMPLOYED THERE.) SHE LIVES IN THE SAME APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT I DO. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE NEVER SEES ME AROUND THERE. I TOLD HER THAT I PATROLLED THE NEIGHBORHOOD A COUPLE OF TIMES A NIGHT. SHE THEN SAID, "I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THE BACKSEAT OF A POLICE CAR. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO PUT ME BACK THERE?" SHORTLY AFTER ASKING HER, "WHEN DO YOU WANT TO BE PUT BACK THERE?" I WAS DISPATCHED A CALL… 2229 - (D) BATTERY I RESPONDED TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX FOR COLLEGE INTERNS IN REFERENCE TO THIS CALL. - THE VICTIM AND REPORTER WAS A 19 Y/O FEMALE. (SHE WAS FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND WAS WORKING AS A LIFEGUARD AT ONE OF THE RESORT’S.) SHE SAID SHE'D BEEN ATTACKED EARLIER THAT MORNING AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM WORK. IT OCCURRED WHILE SHE WALKED FROM HER VEHICLE TOWARD HER APARTMENT BUILDING. AN UNKNOWN, W/M FORCEFULLY GRABBED HER SHOULDERS FROM BEHIND. THE W/F KICKED AND SCREAMED UNTIL THE W/M RELINQUISHED HIS GRASP. THE W/F TURNED AROUND TO SEE THE W/M RUNNING AWAY. THE W/F BELIEVED THE W/M'S INTENTION WAS TO RAPE HER. I ASKED HER WHY SHE DIDN’T IMMEDIATELY CALL US AFTER IT HAPPENED. IT WAS TEN THIRTY PM NOW AND THE ASSAULT HAPPANED THIS MORNING. SHE SAID SHE WAS TOO TIRED TO REPORT IT AND DECIDED TO WAIT. I ROLLED MY EYES, THAT WERE INCOGNITO BEHIND SHADES, TOOK THE REPORT AND ROLLED OUT. NEXT STOP: PLANET SMOOTHIE - MY NEW INFATUATION, STRAWBERRY PROTEIN SMOOTHIES. (AS YOU'VE PROBABLY REALIZED BY NOW, I'M A CREATURE OF HABIT. I'LL KEEP DOING THEM UNTIL I TIRE OF THEM - THEN, IT'S ON TO THE NEXT NEW THING.) MY UNIT NUMBER CRACKLED THROUGH AS THE RADIO GAVE ME MY NEXT JOB. DISPATCH ADVISED THAT THIS WAS AN UNKNOWN CALL FOR THE POLICE BECAUSE THE CALLER HUNGUP AFTER DIALING 911 AND SCREAMING “HELP” INTO THE PHONE. HEADQUARTER CALL BACKS TO THE RESIDENCE JUST RANG THROUGH TO THE ANSWERING MACHINE. MY FORD POLICE INTERCEPTOR LURCHED FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC AS I PUNCHED THE GAS AND BLASTED THE SIREN. THE CITIZEN VEHICLES SCRAMBLED TO GET OUT OF MY WAY. HERE WE GO AGAIN…