View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2005 > March > 04 > Entry
He just didn’t test well
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At about 4:30 a.m. an officer observed a car driving very fast on Roswell Road.
He fell in behind the car and clocked the driver at 85 in a 45. He stopped the car in front of the Hampton Hill Apartments.
The driver got out and, according to the officer, did not do well with the field sobriety tests. (Contrary to what you have heard, we do not ask the driver to do the alphabet backwards. Who can do that?)
The driver had a tough time with the alphabet starting at “A” but inserting “V” after “G”. (Did you know that during the alphabet test, you’re not allowed to sing it? It’s true.)
The driver had some problems with other tests, like the one that requires you to stand up. He was arrested.
Car thieves caught
A man reported that he observed a male take his car from his apartment parking lot and drive away in it. The victim told the report officer he was going to ride around to look for his car. Later the man contacted the police and said he found his car in the lot an apartment complex at about midnight.
The officer, now on his way to meet the victim, was contacted by communications who said complainant now advised them someone had gotten into the car and it was driving down Abernathy Road and getting onto Ga. 400. Several police units followed the car until it was stopped in Gwinnett County. Four suspects were arrested. The driver told officers they had been in Sandy Springs driving around in a stolen car looking for car stereos to steal. They passed the victim’s Honda and decided to steal it.
He stayed a little too long
The manager of a sports bar said that at about 2:45 a.m. a fight broke out inside the business. The manager told the two participants to leave. The smart one did.
The other guy refused to leave, so the manager said he was going to call the police. The man told him that he didn’t care because he, himself, was a police officer.
The man then hit the manager in the face, breaking his glasses. Both men had injuries to the face. The police officer took the suspect to Grady Hospital, and then to jail. He was charged with simple battery and impersonating a police officer.
Early access
The victim said her husband left for work at about 6 a.m. He left the garage door open and the house access door from the garage unlocked.
His wife came downstairs and discovered that $250 cash, a cell phone, and a Jansport black mesh backpack were missing. She later found the access door ajar and thinks that someone came in through the garage area just after he husband left.
Dogged
The complainant was house-sitting at the incident location. Her son came home from school and noticed the basement door was open. Inside the basement he discovered the plasma TV and two X-Box game systems were gone. On the floor was the TV from the master bedroom. They contacted the police.
A neighbor, who was home sick, said two teenagers knocked on his doors and windows. The knocking caused the dogs to bark and the two teens left. At the incident location were four dogs, one being a Great Dane.
Other items
—While a patient was being seen in the emergency room at a local hospital, her purse was stolen. She said the purse was with her at bedside. She was helped to the bathroom and on return the purse was gone.
—The victim put his wallet in the UNLOCKED locker at the gym. Two hours later he discovered his driver’s license and credit cards taken from the wallet.
—It’s getting warmer and closer to spring fever. Keep an eye on the kids, and when they say “I’m spending the night at Bobby’s house,” call Bobby’s mother or father.
—Try and keep the laptops in the house and turn the alarms on even if you’re only going to be out a short time.
The Door Slammers
I recently had some tantrum problems with child No. 3 that included the slamming of the door. I am offended at the slamming of the door, mostly because I know how much the door costs.
I felt it was fair to issue the mandated one warning, which I was in the middle of when the door slammed. Two minutes later, with the help of a hammer and screwdriver, the door was in the garage.
When you remove the door to a teenager’s room, you gain powerful mojo.
Other than retreating to the closet, there is no place to hide. Occasionally I like to stand outside the area where the door used to be and just stare inside.
My father was a door-remover and his father before him.
Our genealogy book shows pictures of our great-great grandparents holding doors.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Rick
March 5, 2005 1:35 AM | Link to this
Want to Super-Size the Mojo? Disconnect telephone extension. Remove stereo system, television, Walkman and clock radio. Replace clock radio with wind-up Big Ben model. Relieve defendant of car keys and cellular phone. Transportation to be provided by school bus and or foot if within one mile of school. Additional transportation to be arranged by reservation. Refrain from becoming child’s “best friend.” Be a parent, for God’s sake.
By J. Teague
March 5, 2005 9:29 AM | Link to this
Great advice about checking with the parents who are supposedly allowing the slumber party. As a teacher, I am most alarmed by the number of “Hotel” parties that the students have.
By Adam Watson
March 5, 2005 11:52 PM | Link to this
Too funny about the door! My father did the same to my sister when she was 14. She’s now 20, and not living with my parents, but the door never got put back on!
And as for the alphabet test, its better not to be a wise person, and tell the officer X,Y, AND Z! If you’re rude, you’re only going to get in more trouble… :)
By Becki
March 7, 2005 10:06 AM | Link to this
Funny enough, I can say the alphabet backwards…learned it as a trick, not to keep from being arrested for drunk driving. Not that I’d be pulled over for that (because I don’t drive drunk!), but if I were to do the alphabet backwards to a cop, would this end my tests or get me a testy look from the cop?
By Carl G
March 7, 2005 2:09 PM | Link to this
My father had a worse deterrent for my brother and I, which was lower the yard by six inches or paint the outside of our house. Which meant removing the grass and digging out six inches of soil. This stopped most of our bad habits as it took several months of weekends to accomplish this punishment. My mother put a stop to painting the outside of the house when our neighbors said “What did the boys do this time?”. She thought our deeds should stay secret after the third paint job in one year.
By moveon
March 8, 2005 10:04 AM | Link to this
Becki, I too can say the alphabet backwards. I’ve been advised that an officer would think I was high if I said it for them, as a sober person might just respond by saying, “I never learned it backwards.
It is fun to amaze drunken friends with this trick though.
By Dianna
March 8, 2005 10:53 AM | Link to this
I, too, can say the alphabet backwards. I am, however, ashamed to admit that I learned it from Big Bird on Sesame Street!
By Dianna
March 8, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this
Oh, I can also say the ingredients of a Big Mac backwards. I learned that one from a commercial!
By Joy
March 8, 2005 4:05 PM | Link to this
That is hilarious, yet commendable on what you did - the term “privacy” did not apply to me when I was growing up - that meant no locking of the door - as far as my mum was concerned, there was no need for locked doors, it meant I was doing something I wasn’t supposed to.
By Christy
March 9, 2005 1:09 PM | Link to this
I too come from a long line of door removers. It seems a lot more humorous now than it did when I was the one without! And I thought my parents were the most unfair in the whole world. Turns out there are other members of the Door Remover Club - there could be a whole slew of them! Wait, does this mean I’m an automatic member since my parents were? I guess I need to go home and figure out how to remove my 3 year old son’s door now so I don’t look like an idiot, standing there scratching my head in 10 years when I inform him he is going to be doorless…
By Tim
March 10, 2005 4:29 AM | Link to this
My dad was a door remover too, and when my kid gets old enough, I will take hers if need be.
By Kelly
March 10, 2005 3:23 PM | Link to this
Not only is my family door removers - my husband is a light bulb remover. After telling our youngest over and over again to turn out her light when she left the room, he removed the bulb and she lived in the dark for a week. Now at 18, she turns out lights that other people have left on.
By Joy
March 10, 2005 4:53 PM | Link to this
I’m not a parent - yet, but when I do, I will be taking heed to his ancestors and invest in a nice dewalt drill so when the time comes and the need arises….off goes the door !
By Ruth
March 10, 2005 5:40 PM | Link to this
My parents did the opposite. They locked me in the room (except for school) for a week (after clearing it of everything except the bed). It did not work.
By Steve
March 16, 2005 1:37 PM | Link to this
The Door Slammers:
That’s hilarious….I’m doing it.
By Dianne
March 17, 2005 3:37 PM | Link to this
I wish I had this column 15 years ago!