View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > February
February 2007
The detective goes through airport security
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vegas to Atlanta / Sunday night
We spent Sunday homeless after checking out of the hotel at 1 p.m. and having a midnight plane. I got hot on the blackjack tables the night before but cooled off Sunday on my Need-To-Kill-Time blackjack tour on the strip. Finally, about 9 p.m. we headed to the airport.
We had three hours to kill. Detective Sandy never met a slot machine she didn’t like. This trip she was doing very well so she continued on and continued doing well. I sat around looking at what appeared to be father-daughter combinations arriving from the planes.
For those of you having knee replacements, you’ll recognize this scenario. We got the airport and got into line. I told the others to go ahead of me because I knew I was going to have a relationship with the metal-detector guy.
When you have a knee full of titanium as I do, not only do you set off the metal detectors, you get to meet the TSA guy who probably just left the “Giant Probing Wand” in-service training course upstairs at the TSA break room.
I walked through the detection door and, as I knew it would, everything went off. Five TSA guys grabbed their wands, (the metal detection ones), locked arms, and formed a circle around me. The head TSA guy (he had a gold wand) pulled out the megaphone, so that everyone could hear, and ordered me to the containment area which isn’t really contained. It’s a two-piece glass window, very clean so the two-mile long line of Midnight-from-Vegas-to-Somewhere-Slightly-Buzzed passengers can get a good look at me, with no belt, no shoes, standing on my toes with my arms out to the side trying not to look like a terrorist.
“Sir, we’re getting a beep from you.”
“Thank you”
“That’s not good sir. I’ll wand you. If you’ll just stand on your left big toe and look to the left I’ll initiate the giant wand. You said your knee was artificial. Is it titanium? Titanium will set off the beeper.”
“That accounts for the beep I guess.”
“Yes sir. I’m going to check you with the giant wand. The wand is set to pick up even the little things” as he passes the wand from side to side just under my belt which I didn’t think was too funny but the above mentioned slightly buzzed passengers going everywhere from Vegas did.
I continued to set off beeps from my jeans rivets and my titanium knee. “It’s still beeping sir.”
“Yes, it’s still titanium I suppose.”
“I’m going to ask you to sit down.”
“Okay, when?” (For some reason, at the time and under those conditions, I thought that was funny. I took it, from his frown, as a sign that I wasn’t all that funny and that future non-funny antics on my part may affect my flight status.)
“Sir, I’d like you to stick your right leg out.”
I did and the giant wand passed by with no beep.
“Now put your right leg down and your left leg out.”
I did and the giant wand beeped right over my knee. I guess he took this as a clue that I was telling the truth and that I was not a terrorist—or funny.
“Now put your left leg down.”
I was fighting the urge but it just came out: “Would you like me to put both legs in, and then both legs out and then maybe shake them all about?”
“Sir, I hear that often and it is not funny. Two words: cavity search. Okay?”
I made several non-verbal gestures of acknowledgement.
We spent the rest of the night waiting on the late plane. We didn’t complain though. We were headed to Atlanta and not to Chicago. The poor folks headed to Chicago were going to spend the night at the airport, courtesy of the storms in the northeast. As the night went on and the plane updates were later and later, I got really bored.
A short time later: “Sir, we’re getting a beep from you.”
Vegas, Styx and the $6 beer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, February 23rd
Las Vegas, in Spanish means “Land of the six-dollar beer.” What they don’t make on the casinos they make up in drink pricing. It is Vegas. We spent time in the shops. There are no signs that say “No drinks allowed.” Everyone welcomes you and your beverages.
Regardless of when you go to Las Vegas, it seems half the strip is under construction. Detective Sandy has a special relationship with slot machines. They call her name. We spent the first half of the day in the casino. My luck started bad and stayed that way. Sandy didn’t fare any better. Our friends Dan and Tina however, hit the dollar slots for $150 and then again for $500. This took the sting out of the six-dollar beer.
There is so much to see and do that you really can’t cover it in three days. We spent a lot of time at New York, New York. Great steaks (Gallaghers) and next door to it is a neat piano bar call The Bar at Times Square. Dueling pianos and all. It was fun.
Styx at the Luxor Classic rock is best described as music played live on real guitars and nobody grabs their crotch. Styx put on a great show. If you’ve seen Styx play in the last few years, you’ll agree they’re better than ever. The audience was a wide range of 20’s to 60-somethings rocking out and having a good time with six-dollar beers.
correction made on 3/8 I had mistake in the next paragraph. Correct info on Charlie Brusco is that he is with Alliance Artists which represents Styx. Alliance Artists is located in Alpharetta.
Dan, our friend, is a big Styx fan. Charlie Brusco and TBA Entertainment, who represent Styx, let us backstage for a little time with some of the band members after the show. Dan and Jay (Jay-Y) Young are both from Chicago. They engaged in what conversation we expected from a member of Styx and a Styx fan. They talked about the White Sox and the Bears. They both agreed that Lovie Smith was well under paid and it has been good to be a White Sox fan the past few years. We didn’t really talk about music because I’m pretty sure they get tired of that.
I did work the room seeking the opinion of those attended how they were coping with the six-dollar beers. They talked about baseball and football. The way back to our hotel went throught a few casinos My luck remained consistently bad. All in all, a great night of music and although I was down about a hundred bucks, it was a fun day.
Tone down the daytime bling
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Police departments have a lot of walk-in people. I noticed two women, one older than the other, standing near the front desk. The older woman had the look of fear on her, not like someone who was in line for a copy of a police report or permit.
She had just been robbed. She was putting her groceries in her car when she was approached by a man who demanded her ring—big ring—on her finger. She screamed, apparently very loudly. The man got into a car and left. The other woman was her daughter who was nearby, returning a shopping cart when she heard the scream. She was very visibly upset. Most people don’t see the after-effects of a traumatic event. The robbery victim was lucky. The robber left and nobody got hurt. The idiot never even got the ring. It was a big ring.
Here’s some good advice. Tone the jewelry down in public. Unless you’re going to a dress-up event, less is better. There are people who will foolishly try to rob you in broad daylight. This guy was a doper, looking for quick cash. Be smart out there citizens.
Yesterday’s e-mail count 87
Answered most of them. I’m trying to wind down. Detective Sandy is fired up about heading for Vegas. It will be a good break. No rest, but a good break.
Yesterday’s phone calls 14
I didn’t get to call everyone back. Among those I did return calls to involved:
- Dogs are driving me nuts barking every night.
- UGA professors have bugged my home. (Regular caller)
- When can I shoot someone breaking into my home? (Frequent question)
- Anything going on? (TV station-regular call)
- Anything going on? (Same station, short attention span apparently)
- The vet said the dog would be okay. (Detective Sandy talking about our stressed out neurotic Shitzu or Shih tzu if you want to be proper)
- “We had a robbery recently.” Were your robbed at gunpoint? “No, our home was broken into.” Oh, you were burglarized. “No, robbed. Someone robbed us.” By breaking into your home? “Yes, robbed by breaking into our home.” Well ma’am, you were burglarized, not robbed. Robbed is someone pulling a gun and pointing it at you. Burglarized is the illegal entry into your home. We’re kind of picky about that. “What does it matter? Robbed, burglarized? Who cares? Anyway, have you had many robberies?” You mean burglaries? “No robberies, you know, when they stick a gun to your head and demand the money. Hey listen, if they break into your house and then pull a gun on you, what is it?” Probably robbery and burglary, maybe home invasion. “When can you shoot them?”
- How come you guys write so many tickets? My friend’s cousin’s neighbor got one. He said the cop wrote him for 60 in a 35 MPH zone. He swore he was only going 36 in a 35. Man, that cop must have a quota. You guys have quotas? That’s not right man. My DUI lawyer said you guys have quotas. That is so not right.
Oh well. Today is the longest of days. We head out for Las Vegas around 10 p.m. Well-needed break in the action for me. My friend Dan, ultimate Styx fan, is ready for the Styx concert. He promises not to act giddy. I told him to be cool because he was going to meet the guys in the band. They’re just like us only creative, musically talented, younger looking, more intelligent, and with fabulous hair sporting no bald spots. Other than that…Dan laughed at the idea of childish fan worshiping. Then he said skipped off saying “Oh My Gawd—Oh My Gawd—Oh My Gawd!
Detective seeks perspective in Vegas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
All of us at the new Sandy Springs police department have been going non-stop. Detective Sandy and I have been working long hours both at home and at work. All of the problems at work are new. Everything has to be created. Its fun and it’s challenging but Sandy and I have reached that time where we know we need a distraction. We need some soul-searching; a way to get back that proper perspective of life. To see things as they should be seen. To appreciate life as we know it. I think we’re going to Vegas.
We’re headed out Thursday for fun in Sin City. We’re taking the Red-eye out and red-eye back. You count the hours, not the days. Who needs sleep? We’re still young and besides we can always sleep in March. We’re doing a road trip to see Styx at the Luxor Hotel. We’re taking our friends including Dan the world’s biggest Styx fan. For those of you who remember Styx from the 70’s and 80’s, do yourself a favor and see them next time they play Atlanta. If you saw them recently at Wild Bill’s you know what I’m talking about. Good music from a well-oiled machine.
Today in the Asphalt Jungle
I have about a hundred e-mails to answer and a dozen calls or so. I checked the blog and some related blogs. Some guy was upset about Sandy Springs Police and traffic enforcement. His point is that speeding alone doesn’t kill. Later that day, the news broadcast led with three teenagers killed. The contributing factor was excessive speed.
I did an interview with WSB on thefts from cars. Why can’t they make me look better on television? It doesn’t matter. I like those bags under my eyes. It makes me look distinguished—and old. More old than distinguished—ah, to hell with it. Who cares? Soon my bags and I will be on the craps table in Vegas. Anyway, the story was about all these people leaving their stuff in cars. People steal from cars. We had over 80 thefts from cars in January and about 65 last December. Hide your stuff people. Good night folks, lock your cars and set your alarms.
Helping your children to outlive you
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve told my kids, a number of times, that I don’t want to outlive them. They told me many times that they hoped I didn’t either. I’m not sure what that means.
All parents are the same way. We llive our lives in a very imperfect world, raise families, pass along the torch, critique them as they raise their families, and go into retirement, enjoy grandchildren, and the “Early Bird” special at the local cafeteria every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
I want my children to outlive me because that is the way it is supposed to be. Hopefully we all will live a long lives and pass on as an old person who gave back to his or her family in the form of wisdom. In my case, incoherent babbling. All the same, we hope that we will live as long as we were expected to.
That isn’t always the case as we see every day on television and in the papers. And very few of us have not, at least once, passed a horrific car accident resulting in one or two fatalities, looked at it, wondered who was involved and what happened to them. How long did you think about it before your life went back into its regular routine?
That’s normal, it’s a busy world and things happen. You get conditioned to it and insulated from it, at least mentally.
Most men and women in public safety see so much of it that it that an event conjures up very little emotional response. I have worked around homicides, suicides, natural deaths, car wrecks, plane wrecks, deaths from alcohol, drugs, guns, knives, scissors, shovels, ropes, animals, asphyxiation from carbon monoxide, oxygen deprivation during sex asphyxiation, heart failure during sex, screwdriver in the ear during sex, wife finding out about sex, and so on. Most police officers are called into someone’s life or the end result of it, once or twice a week. It’s like a movie. You turn it off when you leave. That’s the plan. It’s a good defense mechanism. We didn’t know the guy so we’re not grieving for him.
The first change comes when you have kids. Anytime you work a death or serious traumatic event involving children, you automatically associate it with your own children. It becomes a bit more personal and you tend to leave more of yourself behind each time. The victim and victim’s family now remains in your thoughts longer.
As you get years of experience under your belt you tend to examine these events a little closer. What control does a young person have who was hit by an out of control car on I-285? Some people say it was their time. How could they prevent it? They simply had no control over that event. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
But what if it were someone who didn’t have to die, who didn’t intend to die but unknowingly drove their life right over the edge of the cliff?
We are so bombarded with drug information and alcohol information that it really is hard to sort it out. As we learn more, we tweak that information so that we can do everything possible to prevent drug abuse. If you ask a parent to name what drugs they would consider that are available to kids, they would name alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and maybe crack and methamphetamine.
What about inhalants? Something that has been around but not really on the front burner of prevention information is inhalant abuse. Inhalant use is widespread across the U.S. The primary user is an adolescent and the drugs of choice are often common household products. The term used for it is ‘huffing.’ The effects are commonly euphoric.
Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperature if left in unsealed containers. Paint thinner, gasoline, correction fluid, felt tip markers, nail polish and remover, and glue (such as rubber cement) all contain volatile solvents.
Aerosols are sprays that contain propellants and solvents. Paint, hair products, cooking products are examples.
Gasses are substances that lack definite shape or volume such as refrigerants and medical anesthetics. Abusers frequently inhale gasses found in butane lighters, air conditioning units and propane tanks. Medical anesthetics such as ether, chloroform, and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is abused more often that the other gasses.
Nitrites are a group of chemicals including Cyclohexyl nitrite, amyl nitrite, and butyl nitrite. Nitrites are mainly used to enhance sexual experiences rather that to achieve euphoric effect. Amyl nitrite comes in small capsules sometimes known as ‘poppers.’
These products breathed in. Inhaling and sniffing, known as “pulling air” from open containers or rags, soaked in the fluid are common. The most dangerous form of this is ‘bagging’ which is exactly what it sounds like. The fluid or gas in put in the bag. The user then puts the bag over his or her mouth and nose or in some cases the bag is placed over the person’s head. Passing out could be fatal. It has been fatal.
When I was in high school, shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, I distinctly remember kids doing deodorant spray. They would take a toilet paper cardboard roll, place a tissue over the top, and spray the deodorant up through the bottom of the roll and through the tissue and inhale it to get high.
I am quite sure that many of you remember someone or know stories of kids who snorted some ridiculous product into their heads without the slightest thought of their consequences.
The best thing you can do is read up on this and any other form of drug abuse you may hear of around your kids, their friends, and the talk around school. Read and research and stay in touch with your kids. Drugs have warning symptoms and serious mood changes and depression have symptoms.
It’s a crazy, busy world but stop and take a long look. Make sure you know and they know that this form of getting high is deadly and don’t think that this happens in other places. It happened right here this past week.
Guide to astronaut crime prevention
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many of you have, at one time or another, said to yourself: “What would I do if I were attacked by an astronaut?”
There are several things to consider. First of all, not all astronauts are bad. Many astronauts go into space and then later go on to lead normal lives. Some are civic and government leaders who have made tremendous contributions to society, founding such programs as the Space Cadets.
Geographically, the two cities reporting astronaut-related crimes are Houston Texas and Coco Beach, Florida. There, such programs like Astronaut-Watch and Astronaut-Stoppers provide common-sense prevention to potential victims of astronaut-related crimes.
Astronauts use diapers when traveling into space. Over time they become used to diapers and unfortunately, when they return to earth, some are unable to break the habit. It is not uncommon for astronauts to use diapers recreationally on weekends and holiday. At first nothing seems out of the ordinary but many are eventually consumed in the eventual everyday use of diapers. The most common clue that an astronaut is strung out on diapers is that they never go to the bathroom, either at home or in public areas such as restaurants or parking lots of bars.
Remember these common-sense tips:
• Not everyone is an astronaut. Most astronauts wear big giant helmets with glass fronts. Often they wear silver shiny outfits with a lot of wires and stuff.
• Another distinct identifiable trait of an astronaut is their slow but focused walk coupled with the ability to bounce very high but slowly into the air.
• If you are approached by an astronaut in a parking lot of a public area, first smell the air. If you detect an odor of ammonia, you may be in danger of an astronaut wearing diapers.
• Put as much distance between you and the astronaut as possible, all the while reaching for your pepper spray or calling 911 on your cell phone. Remember to run first. Astronauts are very slow and bounce high into the air….slowly.
• If you see and/or smell what you think is a diaper-wearing astronaut, back off. Remember you can outrun most astronauts. Call the police.
Police-eese: Language of the police people
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC recently did an article about how police officers talk another language and how we seem to use long and almost unnecessary words that could be more easily summed up in shorter and more understandable words, like bad guys and good guys. Well they’re probably right.
Most of it comes from report writing so that we give a minimal amount of information to the other side on the initial reports. My reports were so strict that I eventually stopped writing them. I found that many cases can be lost this way.
Over time, we’ve fallen into the habit of using this “official” police language in the presence of others, namely media and anyone else we don’t know well.
We realize that it’s borderline silliness. You would think we were getting paid by the syllable. I’ve tried to reduce the amount of PGL* that I use. I’ve seen myself on television using those words. It just isn’t me. There is an expectation that we use some PGL but I try to keep it to a minimum.
TERMS AND OTHER BITS
Subject: Someone who may be a future suspect but not right now. Suspect: We have a good idea you’re not on the up and up. Perpetrator (Perp): Bad guy Former Perpetrator: Now known as “usual suspect” CI (Confidential Informant): (See former perp or perp) Victim: Someone we think innocently got the wrong end of the deal. Victims who report crimes but whom we believe may be involved in something are eventually subjects. Victims can be reclassified as subjects, suspects, and perps. Rarely is it the other way around.
THE ACTION OF A CRIME
Perpetrators produce or brandish or produce weapons but rarely do they pull weapons.
Victims, however, can pull a weapon. If they produced a weapon, they either caught the victim by surprise or know magic.
If the weapon is new or very shiny then it is brandished. Perps never brandish old or dull weapons. If a perp attempts to brandish an old weapon, we charge him with Improper Brandishing. A perp could use his fists as a weapon but we never say “The perpetrator brandished his fists.”
Other than the production of weapons, the only other accepted production of an item is the bank note. Bank robbers produce bank notes. Bank notes are usually produced on blank pieces of paper or sometimes the suspect’s deposit slip. (See Inmate.)
TRANSPORTATION
Suspects use vehicles. They elude. When they’re unsuccessful, they attempted to elude. We give them credit for the attempt. However, unless they complete the action, it goes down as an attempt only. A successful eluding of a police car is known as “managed to elude,” making it sound like it was difficult. We hate to lose.
The suspect vehicle is known as the SV. If the SV is an SUV, it’s a SVSUV or Suvsuv. Saying “Direction of Travel” sounds better than pointing and saying, “They probably went that way.” We use Direction of Travel because the Department of Transportation would get mad if we used the acronym D.O.T. in the same sentence as perp.
We often refer to the car as a “late model sedan.” This means we have no idea what kind of car it was.
THE ARREST
We like to “facilitate an arrest.” We provide the circumstance and we call this the facility and then we facilitate the arrest. We could say, “We arrested the guy,” but “facilitate” brings into play an upscale motif. “Apprehend” is better received than “caught.” You catch fish. You don’t apprehend them.
THE END OF THE ROAD
And finally, public information officers and others will be called upon to refer to one’s death and announce that someone has died. It is probably here that we should shoot straight because in death like nowhere else, it is what it is. There is no way to make it something that it is not. Even in description, it is painfully obvious when someone has died. To dress it up in terms that describes it other than what it really is, is like putting perfume on a pig. You ain’t fooling anybody. This person who was living has died. He or she didn’t expire as if they had an option to but failed to renew themselves like a subscription.
There are so many ways not to describe dying. Among them are:
Discontinued; not currently among us; breathing-challenged; sleeps with the fishes; ceases to live (I actually heard that one), or my favorite —“not currently showing any vital signs,” as if they occasionally may, at some point, decide to start showing them again.
10-4
*Police Goober Language
Crime & Punishment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Someone broke though a wall and entered a nude-dance club at 6420 Roswell Road and took an unknown amount of money as well as damaged the ATM machine, cigarette, and the G-string machine. A television was stolen. Yes, a G-string machine.
Writing a good robbery note A man walked into a hotel on Peachtree Dunwoody Road and handed a note to the clerk that read “Hand over the register.” The clerk said he didn’t understand the note but thought the man meant for him to hand over the register drawer. The clerk refused and walked away from the man and into an office. He said the man pulled out a white bag with his hand inside it as if he had a gun. The suspect then fled the location.
Tip: If you’re going to rob someone you need to be clear what it is you want. You can’t demand the register. It’s too heavy and will cause a lot of commotion. You need to take your time and write clearly on the note, making sure you press down hard with your thumb when you write it as not to allow the paper to slide around. After you present the note, just leave it. You won’t need it after that anyway.
Shoplifting series
Part I A 26-year old man was arrested for shoplifting at Target on Johnson Ferry Road after placing CD in his pants and attempting to walk out without paying.
Part 2 A 23-year old male was arrested at the same Target after he hid four CD’s in his pants and attempted to leave the store without paying.
Part 3 A 42-year old man was arrested at Publix on Hammond Drive after he took two-24-packs of beer and walked right past the checkout area. He did not put the beer down his pants. He was followed. He tried to run. But beer weighs you down, so they caught him and he was sent to jail.
Winter Fest: Car Wrecks & Falling Trees
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta is a good place to live if you like the warm climate and traffic. Ten months out of the year you can get by with a light jacket or sweater at the most. It is the other two months that we’ve not figured out how to handle. Quite frankly, we just don’t listen to good advice.
I guess ice and the occasional snow have been hitting the ground every January and February for centuries but it has only been 30 years or so that we have really been able to focus on upcoming ice storms.
For those of you not from Atlanta, which is all of you in Atlanta, how long you’ve been here determines how much you enjoyed our annual tradition called Solemnitas of Car Pessum do Quod Cado Tabesco Nemus” which in Latin means “Festival of Car Wrecks and Falling Pine Trees.”
The ice event would probably pass without too much conversation if it were not for extensive local television coverage painstakingly focusing on all aspects of the coming weather. They can show us on three or four different satellite maps exactly where the storm is coming from and when it will hit. Then, as if we don’t believe them, they’ll show us video from the last ice storm. You can see cars sliding sideways and then hitting a telephone pole spilling milk and bread all over the road.
It only takes a few seconds to see that we’re not really set up to drive on ice. My theory is that it’s too slick.
Atlanta has few, if any snow plows. We don’t budget for snow plows but we do budget for sand trucks. TV stations send reporters to the sand place to show us how the trucks will load the sand and then spread it. Another reporter is standing next to the highway looking for ice. If he or she finds ice, they scoop some of it up so we can clearly see that it’s ice.
Panic sets in as thousands realize they’re low on milk and bread.
At this point in the broadcast, some really good advice is given by the spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety. The message is simple: “Please don’t drive unless you absolutely have to.”
Thousands immediately enter the roadway.
Hopefully, if you didn’t listen to the advice, you at least made it home in one piece to enjoy some home cooked milk and bread.
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