During September I had the occasion to do a "ride along" with a local law enforcement agency. It was an eye-opening experience that gave me an appreciation for skills that my host had honed, ranging from his public interaction, his powers of observation, and his ability to due multiple tasks at once.
First, let me set the stage by describing his "office." The Ford Crown Victoria patrol car is a "slick top." It has the requisite decals on the side and A-pillar spotlight but there is no light bar on top. The backseat is separated from the front by a clear partition. The backseat is hard plastic bench type, presumably to make it easier to clean up should a detainee toss his cookies, or worse. The front passenger has a normal seat although a warning sticker says "Front Air Bag Disabled" across the dash. I hoped that would not be an issue on this ride. Between the seats is an MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) and keyboard that provides a wide variety of capabilities ranging from maps, to call detail, logistical sitreps, and even instant messaging capability. Between the seatbacks is a locked gun rack into which an MP-5 is secured. I hoped even more fervently that THAT would not be an issue on this ride.
Working a 10x4 workweek, the officer's shift starts at 10PM. He picked me up at my home shortly after the top of the hour and we sat in the driveway as he went through the paperwork (read this, sign here, and here, and here, etc) that would release his agency from any liability should I demonstrate moronic tendencies. Once on the road, his first call was to a park where kids were reported to be smoking a little weed. I would guess that they inhaled as well. We parked at the end of a cul-de-sac and he walked into the trees of the green space. Occasionally I would see the beam of his flashlight as he flicked it off an on from time to time. There was nothing to be seen and we went back out on the street. Prior to this evening I had occasion to ask him, with five years experience under his belt, what were his long-term career aspirations? He was happy for now, he said, just being on the road, a beat cop. His patrol beat was one in which he grew up although I was to see later that those boundaries were more a guideline than a rule.
Back on the road again he made a quick u-turn (legal) and caught up with a sad looking one-eyed Volvo (left headlight out) going in the opposite direction. Tailing the car, which we could see had a man and woman in the front and a pre-teen in the back seat, he called in the license plate number. Once he had the information that he needed (the car was not reported as stolen and the owner was not someone listed with an outstanding warrant), he pulled them to the side. His spotlight was trained on the car ahead. Understand here that my instructions were to always remain seated in the patrol car. I could see him addressing the driver, his eyes peeled ever since he had gotten out of the car. You could pretty much guess what was happening, a request for license, registration and proof of insurance and letting the driver know he had a light out. The officer walked back to the patrol car and went through the motions of checking the driver's name against any outstanding warrants and the names and numbers on all three documents to ensure that they matched. He told me that he was also memorizing the last few digits of the VIN and would compare them to the number on the windshield pillar when he went back. There was no ticket. A friendly word to the wise and he let them be on their way. The next stop was a local park. It was not that far from our first home and I can remember taking one of the boys there for little league games. Big fields, dark parking lot. He drove into the lot, which is at the end of a long driveway, and there was a Japanese sedan parked over in the corner. You could see the driver's silhouette but the passenger seat was reclined. Well, I could pretty much guess what was going on. We parked about thirty feet away and waited for a few seconds to allow for the occupants to, uh, adjust themselves and then we pulled up a little closer. The officer approached this car a little more carefully (better not to make assumptions) and again collected the paperwork. For the second time I witnessed an outwardly calm demeanor during the questions. Polite and yet very observant and "situationally aware." When it was clear that this was not Bonnie and Clyde, he suggested that they not park in the parking lot at night for their own safety and we left. He smiled as he got in the car and said, "He said they were just talking." Yeah. I can remember a night when Stephanie and I were similarly surprised as we were "talking." We too were treated to a "go home" suggestion, politely given (and accompanied by a smirk).
The next hour or so passed routinely with a call to a "domestic" situation (diffused by the appearance of three officers) and a couple of looks at suspicious cars. Shortly after 11PM we had a Cherokee pull in front of us from a side street. The driver was likely leaving the bar on the corner and his driving left a little to be desired (one instance of not staying in his lane and some tailgating). The MDT was put to use getting history on the car and driver and after about three miles of following we pulled him over. Again, the check of the numbers and documents and then the officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. He had explained why he made the traffic stop and then told the driver that they were going to do a field sobriety test. About this time a second patrol car pulled up and another officer, this one a little less seniority, joined the proceedings. I found out later that the law requires the officer to explain and demonstrate the test to the person who was being asked to perform it. I just thought he was being polite. Explain it he did. He was very thorough and went through everything twice before demonstrating what was to be done. The "follow the pen with your eyes" test was first and I could see that the officer was a little suspicious of the result. He repeated that test before going to the "one foot in front of another/walk a straight line" test. Again, there was a demonstration of how it was to be done, first this way, then turn around and come back. The driver did the outbound walk perfectly but stumbled on the last step of the return trip. I could see the officer talking to him (again, polite and helpful). I found out later that the driver had taken less than half the number of steps required before turning around. The officer again demonstrated what was wanted and this time the performance was flawless. The driver then went through the "stand on one foot with your arms at your sides" test after a demonstration of what was needed. He did it without error. After a short time of consultation between the two law enforcement officers, the driver was told that he was going to be detained and taken for a Breathalyzer test at the local precinct. During an inventory of his car, N2O bottles were found. He told the officer that he had only had a couple of beers and hadn't hit any nitrous since the night before (hey, don't ask me, I grew up in the 60's). On the trip to the station there was friendly conversation between the driver and the officer even though the driver was handcuffed in the car. In the end, he admitted to drinking more than two beers and he eventually blew a .18 (more that 2x the legal limit). Since he was cooperative the whole time, the officer issued a citation in lieu of arrest and allowed a friend to pick the guy up and take him home. Again, always polite, always observant (it was the eye test that gave the guy away), and very efficient.
The only other event of any significance happened about 1:30 in the morning. We were cruising down a residential street when two high school-aged teens jumped out from a field between some houses and hit the street pretty much right in front of the patrol car. You could just read their thoughts as they saw whom they jumped out at. Holy shit, it's a cop. Short story is that they had been partying. The bigger one of the two, he had 4 inches and 25 pounds on the officer, was being obstinate, profane, and just plain stupid. He ended up being taken to detox. The other kid was allowed to go home. Once again, the officer didn't react emotionally or hostile to this kid who was being a capital asshole.
The shift wound down and I was dropped back at my home just before 5AM. There were other incidents, but none more dramatic than the one with the drunken teen. One surprising thing, well maybe not so surprising, was the amount of paperwork that accompanies his job. He carries a tablet, much like an engineering notebook, into which he makes copious notes regarding each stop. That is just the base of the pyramid. When there was something more significant, the DUI or the teen taken to the detox center, there were reports aplenty that had to be completed. In fact, part of the shift that I didn't take part in was the filing of reports at the end. I suspect that he let me go because he also had to do a report about me, his ride along passenger.
I came away from this experience with a new respect for the guys behind the badge. They handle all manner of problems and, if this one is typical, do so with personal integrity and a respect for the members of the community they protect. I took no photos, nor did I name the officer or the agency. This was deliberate on my part, not a request of theirs. Knowing what a marginal bunch of characters this club contains, it is in their best interest to remain anonymous.