Basically What Happened

I am prohibited from posting the tactics of the Marietta Police Department. So, I will go through basically what happened on patrol without going into too much detail. First, we drove around for some time. The officer says he prefers traffic operations. He said officers are free to focus what they want to focus on in their beats so long as they are working. He said some officers like to conduct traffic operations on the expressways, some like to concentrate on drug activity, and others like to conduct business checks.



This particular business is the Big Chicken. It is a landmark in Marietta. All directions are given in reference to the Big Chicken. We responded to our first call in an apartment complex in regards to two thefts from vehicles. Afterwards, the officer responded to a call for back up on the expressway, but the call was canceled. The officer gave directions to a confused motorist near one of the expressways.




We went to another apartment complex. This time, the call involved an eviction. The officer said evictions can sometimes be a pain. A sergeant later showed up in a 2WD Chevy Tahoe. The officer said that the Tahoe was paid for with money surrendered by drug dealers under apprehension. Earlier in the shift, he took me through one of the drug-ridden neighborhoods.



He said some people appreciate their presence in these neighborhoods and some people don't. He also said that, usually when they don't, there's some sort of racial reason for it. He also said that the SWAT team sometimes conduct saturation operations in these neighborhoods. In my next post, I will talk about other things that happened and discuss my questions to the officer.

Marietta Police Continued

The Marietta Police Department is located at 240 Lemon Street. I was instructed to go to the front desk and tell the clerk I was there for a ride along. My ride along was scheduled for 1530 to 1930 since there is a delay due to shift change. This ride along took place on the 13 DEC 2011. It was clear that I was to divulge no tactics and take no video. I was also instructed to save their phone number into my phone.

As you can tell from my simple phone, I appreciate the simple things in life. That's why I appreciate the simplicity of travel to the Marietta Police Operations Station. To get there on time, I caught the 10 CCT at 1300 and transferred to the 45 at 1415. It dropped me off at Cherekee and Lemon. I headed East on Lemon, turned right onto Cole, left onto Roswell, right onto Fairground, and then, left onto S. Marietta.

I was surprised to find that the Marietta Police Department is on the campus of a school. I suppose the children there are well behaved. It also shares a building with the Marietta Municipal Court. I was allowed to observe roll call. Obviously, I cannot tell you what was said in roll call. However, I can tell you that the Marietta Police Department employs at least one crime analyst.

The denied area of the police department includes a locker room. This seems to be, by far, the largest police station I've encountered. We rolled out then fueled the car. The cars are fueled at only two locations. One is the public vehicles yard and the other is the fire station. Both are close to the police station. In my next post, I will comment on basically what happened during patrol and the questions I asked the officer.

High-Risk Traffic Stop

I continue my discussion on my first ride along with the Dunwoody Police Department by describing a high-risk traffic stop. A BOLO for a stolen white Ford Explorer was called in and the patrol supervisor stopped the vehicle and requested back up. Without hesitation, my host went code 3. With that said, when you see an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens activated behind you, you should either move to the right if you can or stay where you are so the vehicle can weave between you and other cars.




When we got there, I was told to stand by as my escort and the rest of the police department drew their weapons on the suspect. My escort made a point for me to notice the following things. One, every police officer has each others' backs and two, at least one police officer always keep a gun on the suspect while the other makes the arrest. The suspect turned out to be a repo man. Afterwards, a use of force report had to be filed. Such a report is filed whenever an officer draws or uses his or her weapon against a suspect.



The Marietta Police Department also have plenty weapons, a fact they state on their website. My escort carried a .40 cal. Glock with a tactical light, but he did not carry his back-up weapon, also a .40 cal. Glock. The back-up weapon doesn't have a tactical light. The fleet patrol vehicle has a gun rack in between the driver and rider's seats. However, my escort preferred not to use it because it malfunctioned at a critical time. He prefers to keep his 5.56 mm. S&W in the trunk. In my next post, I will turn my attention to other aspects of my ride along with the Marietta Police Department.

Dunwoody Police Continued

The LT said that he could see police cars having heads-up displays in the future and when I got inside of one of them, I understood why. The car has a shotgun rack on the roof in front of the cage. In between the seats is a place to store a digital camera and beverages. There is a radio, stereo, and computer. The computer is linked with a licence plate recognition system. There is also a printer and a console for controlling lights and sirens. It is also worth mentioning that the Dunwoody Police Department allows each officer to take home his or her car, which reduces maintenance costs. The officers are given cards to pay for fuel. The cars become operational for deployment as soon as they reach the Dunwoody city limits.



So, let's get to the questions I asked the officer. Which shift is best to work on in your opinion? He said it doesn't matter. How are the overtime and advancement opportunities? He said he don't want to do overtime because he would be working too hard. He already has to wake up at 0430 to be to work at 0545 and he sometimes have to stay late.

 

I could probably fill a couple of blog posts on the police actions I observed over the two days. However, I will limit my post to just a couple of them. The first was a low-risk traffic stop in a school zone. The officer parked near the flashing lights of a 25 mph school-zone sign. He used a hand-held radar gun to clock a passing car as speeding. The officer pursued the vehicle with lights only as not to scare other motorists. When the car stopped, he called it in to dispatch. He walked quickly to the driver, checking the trunk on the way. He obtained the driver's license then returned to his vehicle. He used the computer to check the license then wrote a ticket. He had the motorist sign the ticket then told her she could safely reenter the traffic flow. He then reported his status to dispatch as code 7, which means a traffic ticket was issued. In my next post, I will discuss another incident and then start my discussion on my ride along with the Marietta Police Department.

Dunwoody Police Department

At first, I had a hard time finding the physical location of the Dunwoody Police Department, but I later realized that it is in an office building across the street from Perimeter Mall. The entrance to the lobby appeared to be locked, but it actually wasn't. The lobby has comfortable seats, carpeting, fliers, a duty roster, children's toys, a gift donation box for children's Christmas presents, as well as various plaques and posters. At 1319, I was greeted by the LT who set up the ride along and he informed me that my ride was en route, but things can get a little hectic. He asked me if I had any questions and I answered that I had none.



Later on, I got to have a conversation with the LT. He explained to me that there normal shift assignments and rotations are the same as those of the Kennesaw State University Police Department's. He also explained that this rotation is the norm for small police departments and that it is beneficial for officers as well. The officers can request two days off on their short weeks and have seven-day vacations. Obviously, it is a busy department based on the time it took for the officer to arrive and I witnessed this with my own eyes. I also came back on the weekend, which is even busier.



At this time, we discussed the cars. They are the ultimate adult toys. I love the sound of the engines. They are Ford Crown Victorias. The LT said, since their cars are relatively new, the department has the advantage of waiting around to see how the newer ones perform. They have tested the Ford Taurus but he said they didn't like them because they were not big enough for their larger officers. For this reason, the Dodge Charger and Chevy Tahoe will probably be the preferred replacements when the time arises. In my next post, I will continue my discussion on the cars and move on to other aspects of my ride alongs.

Ride Along Continued

I can write about the truck we were in all day, but I think it is important to get to the questions I was invited to ask at the start of the ride along. What are the normal shift assignments and rotations? The sergeant said the shifts are 12-hours long and they change at six. The rotations are a two-week cycle. On the first week, an officer works MTFSSu, and the next, he or she works WR. Is it a busy department? He said weekends can get busy, but M-R are the most busy. Which shift is best to work on in your opinion? The sergeant said when he was young, he preferred nights, but now he prefers days.



How are the overtime and advancement opportunities? He said this is a platoon-sized department and advancement opportunities exist; after all, he did make sergeant. He also said overtime opportunities exist for sporting events via sign-up sheets. We started motor patrol through campus including the parking decks. He explained that they cover an area up to 500 yards off campus. My three hours and 30 minutes of motor patrol were fascinating. However, I decline to discuss them in detail here due to the sensitive nature of some of the conversation and events. However, he did want to dispel one myth, which I will pass on. He said some people think the police want to hurt them, but in reality, the police resort to force as a last resort.



I witnessed an example of this concept first hand and hopefully, I will get to witness more. My ride along with the City of Dunwoody Police Department has been set for Friday from 1300 to 1700. I am to meet the officer in the lobby of 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346. I am in contact with a LT in the Marietta Police Department regarding that ride along. In my next post, I intend to report on the Dunwoody ride along at the very least and hopefully report on setting up the ride along with the Marietta Police Department.

Ride Along

I arrived at the Kennesaw State University Public Safety Headquarters yesterday at 1350 for a ride along scheduled for 1400 to 1600. The window was not open at this time and I used a telephone to announce my presence. The window opened at 1355. Like the City of Atlanta Zone 2 Station, the lobby was small and clean with advertisements and awards. It has comfortable seats and honors to former officers.



My host was a sergeant serving as supervisor during that shift. He had me to sign a waiver of liability form, which was witnessed by another officer. The sergeant explained to me that, by signing the form, I waive my right to sue if he gets me killed. However, that did not happen. The rule is simple; I may go anywhere he goes unless he tells me to stay in the truck for my own safety. Speaking of trucks, we were riding in a 2WD Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle. It is the only SUV that can go as fast as Crown Victoria. It can do a J-Turn without flipping over and the sergeant should know because he is an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course Instructor.



The Crown Victoria Police Pursuit Vehicle is due to cease production. The Kennesaw State University Department of Public Safety have tested alternative vehicles to replace the Crown Victoria at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, including the Ford Police Interceptor and the Dodge Charger Police Pursuit Vehicle. They have decided to make the 2WD Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle their standard vehicle. The Kennesaw State University Police Department also uses foot, bike, and ATV patrols in areas motor patrols can not reach. Security patrols are currently conducted in Ford Rangers, but they will be replaced by full-sized pickup trucks. In my next and what I expect to be my last post on this blog, I intend to continue my discussion on this ride along and tell you of my plans for the future.

Dunwoody and Marietta

The application proper asked for the same information as the City of Atlanta Police Department Ride-Along Program's application, excluding emergency contact information. The next two pages are a waiver of liability, which contains the usual legal jargon. Like the City of Atlanta Police Department's version, it requires my signature and date and that of an unofficial witness, which I assume will be the officer who manages the ride-along program. However, unlike the City of Atlanta, it requires the signature and commission date of a notary public. The last page is a criminal history consent form, which required redundant information in addition to my social security number. I authorized my consent for 180 days.



Another application is the application to the City of Marietta Police Department's Ride-Along Program. Unlike the City of Dunwoody Police Department's application, most of the City of Marietta Police Departmnent's application can  be filled out online before it's printed. Like the City of Dunwoody Police Department's application, it is five pages long. The first page requests the same basic information as the City of Atlanta and Dunwoody Police Departments' applications, but your time preferences are limited to one four-hour block and the application makes clear that the applicant may or may not receive it.



It's guidelines are similar to those of the Cities of Atlanta's and Dunwoody's with a couple of exceptions. First, the waiver of liability must be signed in the prescense of a notary who must notarize it. Also, no audio and video recordings are allowed. In fact, no cameras or recording devices may be carried at all. In my next post, I will discuss my ride along with the Kennesaw State University Police Department and tell you of my plans for the future.

More Impressions and Applications

I told the radio-telephone operator my intent was to fill out paperwork for a ride along and she directed me to the application, which was next to the Requests for Police Reports on the wall in a plastic bin. She offered me a clip board, which I used to fill out the form. The form was simple and one-sided. It asked for basic information, emergency contacts, purpose statement, disclaimer signature, as well as time, date, and zone preferences. The form required a witness signature, most likely from the radio-telephone operator, and authorization signatures from Chief of Police George Turner and Zone 2 Commander Robert Browning.



My impressions on the police station would be incomplete if I neglected to mention the restroom. It looked clean enough to have supper in; in fact, it had a table and two chairs. There were also three sinks with mirrors and three stalls, which contrasted sharply with the women's one woman wheel-chair accessible restroom. This is a vivid demonstration of the City of Atlanta Police Department's male to female ratio of four to one.



The City of Dunwoody Police Department's Ride-Along Program application is five pages long and downloaded from http://www.dunwoodypolice.com/. The first page lists the guidelines, which includes a minimum age requirement of 18, excluding Explorers. The applicant must acknowledge with a signature and date. The form will be reviewed and approved by the Deputy Chief and Chief of Police Billy Grogan respectively. In my next post, I will continue my discussion on the City of Dunwoody Police Department's Ride-Along Program application and discuss my application to the City of Marietta Police Department's Ride-Along Program.

My Impressions

Those of you who read my last post are probably wondering why I concluded with a photograph of Georgia Eye Associates. Well, it turns out that this is also the location of Zone 2, a small police station serving North Atlanta. The police station is to the rear of Georgia Eye Associates with an entrance on the side. I was most disappointed with the Maple Drive address, which is one block to the West of the more busy Piedmont Road. While the station sits in its secluded position, motorists on Piedmont Road are committing traffic violations. I can't help to think, if the station was storefront property on Piedmont Road, it might encourage voluntary compliance. However, I was delighted by the station's internal condition.



It was spotless and the lobby is decorated with photographs of the command staff, fallen officers, plaques from local business owners and recruitment posters with the motto "Answer the Call," something I one day hope to do. I was impressed with the physical appearance of the officers, especially the officers' attention to detail. In particular I noted the radio-telephone operator's leather pouches used to hold handcuffs; they appeared to have been shined. I saw two other uniforms while I was there, a black and a white male, the latter a desk sergeant. I also saw a white female detective in conservative business attire, she greeted me although I had no official business with her. The radio-telephone operator, a black female, was friendly; she listened to Cartoon Network as she worked. In my next post I will continue with my impressions of the inside of the station and begin to discuss my application to the City of Dunwoody Police Department's Ride Along Program.

More Tips

You should not discuss the specifics of a call or identify a caller without prior consent. Also, use discretion in discussing anything you've seen or heard in a pre-shift briefing. Don't play with the shot gun release. Only trip the release when the shotgun is needed.



Unless you are a sworn officer, do not bring your firearm and equipment. However, if you have your own bullet-resistant vest, wear it under your shirt. Follow instructions. Stay in the car unless the officer asks you to move for your safety or other reasons. Ask questions to clarify your limitations and instructions beforehand.



If possible, schedule your ride along for the night shift as you will get to see and do more. Ask questions dealing with patrol. What are the normal shift assignments and rotations? Is it a busy department? Which shift is the best to work on in your opinion? How are the overtime and advancement opportunities? However, do not talk about specialized units, such as SWAT, CID, and K-9, unless the officer brings it up as it takes years to be selected for such assignments.



My call-in to Zone 2 was initiated at 1540 on 07 OCT 2011 and lasted only one minute. I was told by the radio-telephone operator that I would have to walk-in to the physical location at 3120 Maple Dr. NE Atlanta and that the paperwork was available to fill out 24 hours per day. I rode the 5 Sandy Springs-Dunwoody bus to East Paces Ferry Road, then walked to the location. On Saturday the bus runs every 30 minutes and the trip time is approximately 15 minutes. In my next post, I will continue with my impressions on Zone 2 and discuss my application to the City of Dunwoody Police Department's program.

Tips

I have tips for ride-alongs that have been suggested by Dr. Richard Weinblatt, who has managed ride-along programs, and Jason Grabill, an expert. First, do paperwork. A liability waiver and departmental policy must be signed. You will also give permission to run your name, driver's license number, social security number and date of birth, which leads to the second tip. Clear up any warrants you may have or you will ride-along with the officer only so far as the county jail.



Dress professionally, but comfortably just in case you have to run. Wear no shorts, jeans, or T-shirts. Wear no questionable or law enforcement logos or graphics. Wear a collared or button down shirt, khaki pants, and comfortable shoes. Wear layered clothing as the temperature inside the car will be cold.



Don't touch the radio unless directed to call for help. To do this, press the button on the microphone and wait for the repeater to kick in. Talk clearly and succinctly, then let go of the button. Know the difference between the radio and public address mikes. Do not touch the computer.



On meal breaks, let the officers pick the eateries. Eat prior to going on duty just in case you have a high-volume shift. Choose wisely. The officer should not have to make a high speed run for the bathroom.



The issue of accepting free or discounted food shouldn't be discussed in view of the public. If a discount isn't extended to you as a civilian, don't demand the bill adjusted. If you're able to cover the officers' bill, do so. If management insists on cutting the bill, leave a tip that equals or exceeds the full price.



You should talk less and listen more. Avoid profanity and unprofessional speech. This is especially important if you're an applicant as a ride-along can serve a layer of unofficial screening for the department. In the next entry, I will probably continue my presentation of tips and hopefully, tell you of how well my call-in to Zone 2 went.

Introduction

My name is Troy Rene BOSTICK and I'm an English major out of Atlanta, Georgia. My favorite genre of music is rock with Creed and Seether being my favorite bands. Holes is my favorite book. It was read to me in the fifth grade and was the first novel I enjoyed.

For my team presentation, I'm interested in public relations / corporate writing, technical writing, and writing for the Internet. These choices reflect my desire to become a police officer or pursue a closely-related career. Traditionally, police officers and closely-related professionals write reports. However, due to an emphasis on community-oriented policing and the desire for citizens to know what their governments are doing to protect them, the police are increasingly using websites, blogs, and even Twitter accounts to pass along information. Facebook accounts are used as recruiting tools. Large departments often have community-oriented policing sections and small departments often have public information officers to maintain such pages.

Police officers and closely-related professionals tend not to have degrees in English. Therefore, I feel supremely confident that I could be a great asset in one of these specialized roles. However, I would be foolishly optimistic to think I could make such an arrogant statement and not prove my worth to potential employers. This brings me to the purpose of my blog. To demonstrate my seriousness in pursuing a career in government work and to prove I've properly examined the career, I plan to ride along with four metro Atlanta police departments. They are two urban police departments, City of Atlanta and City of Dunwoody, and two university police departments, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. Future blogs will discuss the procedures for applying to these ride-along programs and if I'm successful, entries on my experiences. The next entry will probably contain general information on ride-alongs and an examination of ride along blog entries currently in the blogosphere.

Test Fire

This is a test fire of this blog.