This is the latest in a series of posts chronicling my attempt to try 40 new things before I turn 40 in March. You can read all the entries under the label 40 4 40.
I know I keep saying this, but I truly didn't think this one was going to happen! I can't even remember where the idea came from. Back in December at the Jingle Bell Run, I asked my cop partner if police ever did ride alongs. He said they did and I just needed to go to a station and tell them what I wanted and fill out a form. That's kinda intimidating!
In January, I actually had it on my schedule to go to a police station and inquire. I was discussing it with someone when I had the brainstorm to do it in Azle! It might be more meaningful in the community that I work in. Perhaps I'd see parts of Azle I had never been to. AND I have a connection - 2 school cop/teachers, plus 2 SROs (I teach the daughter of one of them!). So I asked the one I know the best and he said sure, ask the SROs. I did and Officer Kidd set it all up for me!!
So yesterday afternoon, I went on a ride along! I showed up about 15 minutes before shift change and met up with Officer Hearn. I filled out the form so no one could sue them if this didn't go well. And off we went!!!
We started off doing traffic. You know the cop that hides around that bend and tags ya?! Yep, that was us :) There's a highway that runs through Azle with a speed limit of 60. Don't go over 70!! We caught a few, but just gave warnings. We also then went down by the high school and caught a delinquent inspection sticker. Yeah, I work with that one. Hehe. He also got a warning.
Then we went to a different part of the highway. We caught a lady speeding and also got a flat tire when we pulled off behind her. She got a ticket. Not because of the flat tire though. Just because she was speeding. We had to wait to get a spare from another officer and then we (okay, Hearn) fixed it. I got a text from a co-worker asking about my standing on the side of the road :)
Let's see, after that, we went back to the station to drop off the tire. While there, Hearn spoke to someone (his boss?) who told him to try the new car... the brand new, less than 100 miles, Ford Police Interceptor. So we did :) It was NICE! Except the driver window wouldn't roll down properly and Hearn said it wasn't fast enough.
As it got dark, we made one more traffic stop. Poor guy had warrants out. He ended up in the back seat. While Hearn was processing him, I chatted with other officers and the dispatchers. He felt bad because I wasn't "on the street" but I learned a lot!!
At this point, we'd been on shift for 6 hours, it was 8pm. We decided it was dinner time. We went to a local bbq restaurant that I'd never been to but heard a lot about so that was a good choice. It was pretty good. Hearn drove through parts of Azle I'd never visited to show me around. It was awful nice of him.
Then we helped another officer attempt to arrest a guy on an assault charge. The woman who answered the door said he wasn't home. Uh huh. I stayed in the car and watched for running figures but nothing exciting happened. We stopped for a burger for the prisoner and went back to the station. I got a tour of the jail. Three male cells and one female cell. Interesting...
And then I left! I never felt in danger. I was proud of how all the officers did their job. Hearn was very polite with everyone he encountered. He really believes in deterring bad behavior, not "Getting the bad guy". He explained everything to me, including his thought process about giving warnings vs. citations and such. And he truly didn't want to arrest the guy!
I found myself correlating police stuff with teaching. It's not like I WANT to fail students, but when they don't do what they're supposed to do, it's kinda required. And I hate it. I try not to go straight to detention giving when I can give a warning or two, in hopes that it'll never get to detention giving. There were other similarities, but I can't remember them now.
I must add that I was still getting over this stupid cold. I had just gotten to the couching stage. And so I coughed. And coughed. Obnoxious, crying fits of coughing. WITH cough drops. Luckily the severity lessened or I would've had to go home. But I still sucked on cough drops all night long!!!
So, I am VERY glad I did the ride along. And I'm glad I did it in Azle. It definitely was more meaningful getting to see a different side of the community I serve.
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