Posted: 8/4/2010 3:33:10 PM EDT
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We get a lot of negative press. With all we see on a day to day basis, I thought I'd pass on some good that I in turn passed on to someone else who deserved it.
About a month ago I answered an alarm call and discovered some open doors. The homeowners were out of town, and I was able to get a cell number for the wife. I told her about the doors, and we arranged for a housekeeper to come over an?d secure the place later. Nothing out of place, and as far as calls for service go, pretty mundane. A week later I get a message that a gift certificate for fifty bucks is waiting for me at a local restaurant, and a pretty good one at that. Per policy, I inform the boss, who says, "Okay, you told me about it. Go eat." I didn't feel real good about using the gift certificate, so I picked it up with the intention of giving it to someone else if I thought they'd done something nice. Two days after that I took a lost property report. A lady lost a very valuable piece of jewelry the night before (matched wedding/engagement rings,) and later in the shift I discovered the rings had been turned in to another officer earlier in the day. I call the lady and give her the good news. She wants to thank the man who turned it in, and when I call him to arrange their contact he tells me she already got the rings back and thanked him. Whether she gave him a reward or simple, "Thank you," I don't know. He told me he didn't want any reward, that he just felt good about doing the right thing. I told him I was giving him the certificate, which he at first refused, and he could give it to whomever he felt deserved it. He's a teacher, and said he'd give it to a deserving student during the school year. Anyone else got a positive police story to share? |
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I recovered 150k in cash, from a lady that was related to the Chinese victim.
The security guard was the one that gave us the tip and what he observed the suspect do. The same security guard's wife was expecting a child, had to quit her job due to a bed rest requirement and they were seriously struggling. The victim tried to give myself and another detective 5k each. I refused and she was super persistent. She said she would get us a suite and cover our meals for the day instead. I told her we couldn't, but the security guard is the guy that deserves it. She walked over and gave him 5k. No idea what happened after that, but we ran out of there before she tried to give us anything else! |
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Quoted:
I recovered 150k in cash, from a lady that was related to the Chinese victim. The security guard was the one that gave us the tip and what he observed the suspect do. The same security guard's wife was expecting a child, had to quit her job due to a bed rest requirement and they were seriously struggling. The victim tried to give myself and another detective 5k each. I refused and she was super persistent. She said she would get us a suite and cover our meals for the day instead. I told her we couldn't, but the security guard is the guy that deserves it. She walked over and gave him 5k. No idea what happened after that, but we ran out of there before she tried to give us anything else! Cool. |
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I was stuck in a midnight district that was famous for call-to-call parties on Fridays and Saturdays. Which meant I couldn't go stalk tweakers or GTAs until at least 0100. My good Sarge finally put a Level I reserve with me on those nights, and when we cleared briefing we'd get a printout of loud-only party calls on that whole side of town.
Knock on the door, find the homeowner and ask if they wanted everyone to leave, in my best public relations manner. Of course many were leaving as soon as they saw blue suits anyway, but we'd clear out the party, offer rides to anyone without one (strangely, no one ever accepts these offers) and get the homeowner to form a trash posse to pick up cans, bottles and cups that usually trail out to the visitors' cars. Keeps the neighbors happy, you know. Did this for two straight months - never had to arrest any assholes, everybody was compliant, had neighbors call the station to offer thanks. A group of college kids that had been at several of the parties put money together and bought a $250 gift certificate to a local ritzy restaurant, and presented it to my OIC as a gift for "Party Officer wunbadweel". Of course, I got a huge ration of shit from the rest of my shift over it, and I had no intention of using it myself anyway. So I went to the restaurant and asked if they'd honor it for a bunch of the kids at the custody shelter - not juvenile offenders, just children abandoned or had parent/guardian absence. The restaurant made a big deal for July Fourth for the kids; catered and delivered fantastic meals of prime rib, bbq ribs, homemade ice cream and the whole works for the forty kids in the shelter (and the volunteer workers too). Then they put on a big fireworks display for them, and presented the kids with new clothes they had rounded up via donations from local stores. I didn't know they were doing all of this, and my OIC had me dispatched to the shelter to contact staff there regarding a juvenile. Whe I got there, the restaurant owner introduced me to the whole group and said they had done all this because the Party Officer had asked. And in uniform and on duty, I cried like a friggin' baby in front of them all. 
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Quoted:
I was stuck in a midnight district that was famous for call-to-call parties on Fridays and Saturdays. Which meant I couldn't go stalk tweakers or GTAs until at least 0100. My good Sarge finally put a Level I reserve with me on those nights, and when we cleared briefing we'd get a printout of loud-only party calls on that whole side of town. Knock on the door, find the homeowner and ask if they wanted everyone to leave, in my best public relations manner. Of course many were leaving as soon as they saw blue suits anyway, but we'd clear out the party, offer rides to anyone without one (strangely, no one ever accepts these offers) and get the homeowner to form a trash posse to pick up cans, bottles and cups that usually trail out to the visitors' cars. Keeps the neighbors happy, you know. Did this for two straight months - never had to arrest any assholes, everybody was compliant, had neighbors call the station to offer thanks. A group of college kids that had been at several of the parties put money together and bought a $250 gift certificate to a local ritzy restaurant, and presented it to my OIC as a gift for "Party Officer wunbadweel". Of course, I got a huge ration of shit from the rest of my shift over it, and I had no intention of using it myself anyway. So I went to the restaurant and asked if they'd honor it for a bunch of the kids at the custody shelter - not juvenile offenders, just children abandoned or had parent/guardian absence. The restaurant made a big deal for July Fourth for the kids; catered and delivered fantastic meals of prime rib, bbq ribs, homemade ice cream and the whole works for the forty kids in the shelter (and the volunteer workers too). Then they put on a big fireworks display for them, and presented the kids with new clothes they had rounded up via donations from local stores. I didn't know they were doing all of this, and my OIC had me dispatched to the shelter to contact staff there regarding a juvenile. Whe I got there, the restaurant owner introduced me to the whole group and said they had done all this because the Party Officer had asked. And in uniform and on duty, I cried like a friggin' baby in front of them all.
That's an amazing story. Thanks for posting it. |
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Not quite the same type of story but still made my day.
This past weekend I was out riding my bicycle. I was well out of town were I work and was riding the back country roads. I saw a vehicle driving toward me. I pulled to the side and the truck headed right toward me slowing down. I pulled out to the other side of the road and the truck came to a stop. The driver got out and I recognized him as a guy who I had arrested several times (DWI, Domestic Assault, and DWS). I though "oh great. Here's a fight on an abandoned country road" (I was carrying a pistol in my camelbak but it was not handy to get to. He asked me if I was a police officer. I knew him so there was no point in lying. I said that I was. He then stuck out his hand and said "You've arrested me before. I just wanted to tell you thanks and that I've straightened out. Got married and things are going well for me. Sorry for all the headache I was to you." We talked for a bit and he then left. Kind of surprised me! Later that same day, the wife and I went to Walmart to get some stuff. I saw a girl driving through the parking lot. I had sent her to prison for drugs........twice. She stopped, said hi, and told me that she was doing great and had straightened out. Said that I had always treated her fairly and that I was her favorite officer. I'm not sure what's going on around here!! 
I have really enjoyed the other stories posted!! |
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Quoted:
I was stuck in a midnight district that was famous for call-to-call parties on Fridays and Saturdays. Which meant I couldn't go stalk tweakers or GTAs until at least 0100. My good Sarge finally put a Level I reserve with me on those nights, and when we cleared briefing we'd get a printout of loud-only party calls on that whole side of town. Knock on the door, find the homeowner and ask if they wanted everyone to leave, in my best public relations manner. Of course many were leaving as soon as they saw blue suits anyway, but we'd clear out the party, offer rides to anyone without one (strangely, no one ever accepts these offers) and get the homeowner to form a trash posse to pick up cans, bottles and cups that usually trail out to the visitors' cars. Keeps the neighbors happy, you know. Did this for two straight months - never had to arrest any assholes, everybody was compliant, had neighbors call the station to offer thanks. A group of college kids that had been at several of the parties put money together and bought a $250 gift certificate to a local ritzy restaurant, and presented it to my OIC as a gift for "Party Officer wunbadweel". Of course, I got a huge ration of shit from the rest of my shift over it, and I had no intention of using it myself anyway. So I went to the restaurant and asked if they'd honor it for a bunch of the kids at the custody shelter - not juvenile offenders, just children abandoned or had parent/guardian absence. The restaurant made a big deal for July Fourth for the kids; catered and delivered fantastic meals of prime rib, bbq ribs, homemade ice cream and the whole works for the forty kids in the shelter (and the volunteer workers too). Then they put on a big fireworks display for them, and presented the kids with new clothes they had rounded up via donations from local stores. I didn't know they were doing all of this, and my OIC had me dispatched to the shelter to contact staff there regarding a juvenile. Whe I got there, the restaurant owner introduced me to the whole group and said they had done all this because the Party Officer had asked. And in uniform and on duty, I cried like a friggin' baby in front of them all.
 Good job. Too bad there is not enough good press is written about us. The negative is much more popular.
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Quoted:
Not quite the same type of story but still made my day. This past weekend I was out riding my bicycle. I was well out of town were I work and was riding the back country roads. I saw a vehicle driving toward me. I pulled to the side and the truck headed right toward me slowing down. I pulled out to the other side of the road and the truck came to a stop. The driver got out and I recognized him as a guy who I had arrested several times (DWI, Domestic Assault, and DWS). I though "oh great. Here's a fight on an abandoned country road" (I was carrying a pistol in my camelbak but it was not handy to get to. He asked me if I was a police officer. I knew him so there was no point in lying. I said that I was. He then stuck out his hand and said "You've arrested me before. I just wanted to tell you thanks and that I've straightened out. Got married and things are going well for me. Sorry for all the headache I was to you." We talked for a bit and he then left. Kind of surprised me! Later that same day, the wife and I went to Walmart to get some stuff. I saw a girl driving through the parking lot. I had sent her to prison for drugs........twice. She stopped, said hi, and told me that she was doing great and had straightened out. Said that I had always treated her fairly and that I was her favorite officer. I'm not sure what's going on around here!!
I have really enjoyed the other stories posted!! After all the IAs and lawsuits, fights and dead-end investigations, events like these were my salvation. Damned shame we have to even mention stories like this - it'd be nice to see more of them. |
| A guy on my shift had a call of an elderly lady locked out of her house/having a problem with her door. It turned out that the lock was damaged/inoperable and she didn't know what to do. He took it upon himself to (with the Sgts permission) drive across town to the hardware store, purchase a new lock at his own expense and then install the lock in the lady's door. |