Second Shift: Stickers and Ballons

Posted by: Blue

Today was the first arrest that I was involved with.  I charged and cautioned a 43 year old male for Uttering Threats.  They all tell me that I'll remember my first arrest for the rest of my career.  We'll see.  I found the whole thing relatively uneventful.  I guess because I would have expected the same reaction that I might have if I found-out that I was being arrested.  He just calmly turned around, put his hands behind his back, and my partner cuffed him.  Later, at the station, he fell asleep in the cell while waiting for the paperwork to go through the Sergeant.  As we walked in to serve him his court and ident dates, he yawned, glanced them over, and said "OK.  Thanks guys.  Hey, so are you just gonna turn me out in front of the station?  Or could I get a ride to my sister's house?"

We asked where his sister lived.  She wasn't far.  We drove him down to a drug store nearby and released him back into the wild.  The whole call was quite unremarkable.

On the other hand, the thing that I think will stand-out in my memory from today was a light tap on my shoulder from an older woman.  She wanted me to come and say something to her grandson who was  outside of the store where we were picking-up coffee.  I happily joined her after the clerk waved me through with a free coffee (a perk that I really could get used to), and was introduced to Quinn, a 7 year old boy with a smile on his face. 

Quinn's grandmother nudged him, and he smiled bigger, and said "Thank-you for doing your job to keep the city safe."  His grandmother said "We'll keep praying for all of you."  I said "I can never have too many of those."

I don't think I'll ever forget that.

I gave Quinn one of the balloons that was in my vest pocket, and two stickers.  He smiled bigger, and then he came over to the cruiser to meet my FTO.  Frank smiled and asked him how old he was and if he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.  I didn't quite hear his response, but it sounded like he said something about it being a toss-up between a police officer and a hockey player.

As the two walked away and I saddled-up in the driver's seat, Frank volunteered, "You're getting full marks for Community Relations."  I have another officer to thank for that.  Raindog, I tip my hat.