the suburban version of Cops, or, Reno 911

Sometimes, just for fun, or perhaps to escape the goings-on of my own life, I like to read the local police blotter. It lists all the calls that come into the dispatcher, as well as a bit of information about what happened. In a typical week, we’ll have a few complaints about pesty skateboarding kids, a few false burglar alarms, and maybe a call from someone complaining that their neighbors are yelling or having a loud party. Kinda boring. I’ve yet to read anything as dramatic as the time when I was single, and I thought there was an intruder in my home, and the police sent the helicopter and the cops rushed in my house…..nope, nothing like that around here. Just, simple stuff. But, I still like to read it, ‘cause you never know when something like this might show up:

[08/15/2007 11:00:24 : SIEGLERSD] [Cleared with unit 286] [08/15/2007 10:47:45 : SIEGLERSD] Unit : 286 C4 10-6 [08/15/2007 10:43:38 : 285 ] c-4 [08/15/2007 10:04:25 : BBLOCKLEVINE] ONEILL // DORRANCE 925 E1 PC ON ONEILL BTWN DORRANCE AND NARROW CANYON FOR A MW 70`S SITTING IN A BEACH CHAIR IN HIS PJS DRINKING ~MERLOT~..INF WAS JOGGING BY WHEN SUBJ ASKED INF IF SHE WANTED TO HAVE SEX AND AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES..SUBJ ALSO TOLD INF HE WAS A DOCTOR....INF LAST SAW SUBJ 10 AGO

Once you get past the formal police codes (10-4 good buddy) and into the meat of the call, it begins to paint a picture…..

Kindly, retired doctor, just looking to enjoy life, yet with not a whole lot to do (he is retired most likely, since it says he is in his 70’s) decides to kick back and relax, in his beach chair, with a glass of Merlot, and since retired people aren’t tied down by the fast paced life the working folks deal with, the guy decided to stay comfy and remain in his pajamas. Now, according to the info, this all took place at 11:00am. So, Ive got the picture of the guy, relaxing, sipping his wine, in his pjs, reclined in a beach chair…… one tid bit that is interesting, is that the location, is on the busiest street in the community. The speed limit is 50, and people often go much faster, so, not sure why he selected that spot, doesn’t seem to fit the laid back mood that he seems to be trying to achieve, but ok, maybe he’s a nascar fan and likes fast cars. So, there he is, just enjoying the good life. Guy probably worked hard as a doctor, all those years of grueling medical school and 24 hour shifts doing his residency, and then dealing with the rigors of being a physician and caring for people, saving lives, no doubt, the guy deserves a little R & R. So, it’s really no wonder, that while sitting there, soaking in a bit of the Southern California sun, watching a female jogger run by (informant) that he decides to ask her out, on a sort of date, kind of. She apparently got a bit flustered by it, and turned him down. Bet he’s not used to that, being a doctor and all. Kind of feel sorry for him, seems to be losing his touch in his old age.

And then, there is this one:

[08/20/2007 19:29:12 : HOVDEBM] [Cleared with unit 389] [08/20/2007 19:16:17 : HOVDEBM] Unit : 389 C4 [08/20/2007 18:36:51 : HOVDEBM] Unit : 389 HAVE THE SUBJ DET IN FRONT OF OC DIAGNOSTIC [08/20/2007 18:29:49 : ASWANSON] VEH PARKED IN FRONT OF THE 10-20 GIVEN [08/20/2007 18:29:30 : ASWANSON] NO MAKE [08/20/2007 18:29:10 : ASWANSON] Cross streets: TERRACE RD//WINDMILL AV NBH: 922G7 92694 33.557856754532,-117.62915029401 SILV TOY TACOMA PLT ....MW SANDY BLONDE HAIR 5`8 MED BUILD WHI 24 HR FITNESS SHIRT BLU SWEAT PANTS APPROACHING PEOPLE...SAYING HE IS BEING FOLLOWED BY THE CIA...UNDER SURVEILLANCE BY THE FBI AND THAT WE ARE UNDER WAR, ETC....NFD...INF IS NOT 10-23

The location here, is in our business area, across the street from the homes. I noticed that he is wearing fitness garb, and indeed, the mentioned gym is in that area, so I imagine, he was working out, and as many people do when exercising, he was probably doing some deep thinking. Perhaps contemplating his personal life, or doing some existential wonderings, and I guess he also thought about the state of our world today. Apparently the war in the Middle East must have been at the forefront of his mind. The guy is young, probably still idealistic in his thinking, and it seems to me, this caring guy was just trying to be helpful, a good Samaritan of sorts. It looks as if he was just trying to let others know about the war, you know, in case they have been locked in a basement for 4 years, and hadn’t heard the news. Maybe he even tried to start an intellectual conversation with the informant, but in any case, this intellectual was taken the wrong way, and got someone freaked out. Guess the lesson there is to not talk to strangers, you never know how they are going to take you. Like, you can say, “That’s a nice dress you have on.” And be mistaken for a robber, and someone can call the cops and say you wanted to steal their dress…you never know, so, best not to talk to strangers, especially when you are having paranoid delusions.

If nothing else, the police blotter gives me great insight into how people think, and what they do. You can even get some great ideas for how to spend your free time, if you have any, like, if you are retired (cough, cough, Grandma J)….

Do any of you read your community police blotter? Have you ever been on there yourself? If you have a good incident to share, pass it along, we could all use a good read.