Almost every police officer has at least a few of those “true story…” anecdotes. It always starts, “This is a true story,” and is followed by a set of facts that you just could not make up, even if you tried.
True story: I once worked with an officer, who is still a sergeant in the Midwest, and who, in the interest of providing great customer service, did the opposite of what we are supposed to do in law enforcement. It was the middle of winter in Minnesota, and when leaving a convenience store, the officer saw a man trying in vain to start his car. The man kept turning the key and the engine just kept cranking in the cold weather.
The officer approached the man, who said his battery was dead. The officer called in the location and the license plate to his dispatcher and charitably told the man he would be happy to help him jump his car with cables. The officer pulled up next to the car, got the cables from the trunk, and attached the battery. The man finally got the car to start, smiled and thanked the officer and drove away.
You can predict where this one is going … the dispatcher called the officer to tell him that the plate he called in was listed as stolen. The officer didn’t quite know how to tell the dispatcher that he just helped get the stolen car started so the suspect could drive it away.
Along the same lines, one of our officers found that while we always strive to provide excellent service, our best efforts are not always rewarded.
True story: One night last week, one of our officers stopped by a Kent Starbucks. Rather than paraphrase, I will cite the actual police report: “I stopped by Starbucks to purchase my daily white chocolate mocha (grande size). While I waited in line, I saw a subject attempting to buy coffee and a pastry. The barista told him she could not break the $100 dollar bill he had given her. The subject sheepishly returned the $100 bill to his wallet and started to walk away.”
The report goes on, “Sensing his embarrassment, I said that I would pay for his coffee and pastry for him. He expressed his gratitude by saying, ‘you’re buying? Thanks!’ I paid for the items, which amounted to about $5.”
The officer went back to his squad car, and a short time later heard the dispatcher send another officer to a report of a fraud at a nearby address. The dispatcher radioed that the call involved a man trying to pass a fake $100 bill. The coffee-buying officer listened with increasing dismay as the dispatcher provided the description of the suspect and the vehicle: white male, mid-20s, blue jeans, black SUV. The same guy from Starbucks.
The officer later saw the vehicle stopped for a train, and pulled the car over. The man still had the cup of coffee in his hand as he was arrested for fraudulently trying to pass a fake $100 bill.
Lest you think a virtuous act is always punished, I will finish with a few good “true stories.” Such as, after one of our officers learned that a student could not afford a school ID, and therefore could not attend after-school activities, he quietly bought her one.
Or the officer from another department who heard that a single mom was facing thousands of dollars in transmission repair for her minivan, so he signed the title over for his family’s minivan since his kids had recently left for college. All he asked was that his name not be given.
One of our retired Kent officer’s favorite things to do was to pay the restaurant bill for people who were eating by themselves. His only reward was their smile as they looked around the cashier’s area to see who paid their bill.
Our corrections officers take up a collection each December to buy holiday presents on behalf of the inmates. The inmates are then able to give presents to their own children.
Our officers and staff have hundreds of interactions each day with residents from every background and with very different perspectives. We get lots of funny stories, lots of tragic stories, and lots of routine interactions. That’s what makes this a great career and a great job.
Have a good week.
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