Big City vs. Rural Cops

I just read a diatribe on big city vs. rural cops, which I found while perusing the comments on another popular law enforcement website. Apparently we rural cops aren’t considered to be the equal of our big city brethren, at least according to few officers claiming to be from some of the metro areas.

This is a little disconcerting to me as I, like a great many of the men & women who wear a badge, shield or star, consider anyone brave (or stupid) enough to do so worthy of friendship and recognition. I myself originally hail from a department with over 200 sworn officers in a metro area, but relocated to a department consisting of 6 officers out in the boondocks of our great nation. And yes, it was by my choice (but that is a story for another day).

Was it a culture shock? Hell yeah it was. But want to know what the difference in being a cop is between here and there?

NOT. A. DAMN. THING.

I still respond to calls, although I do way more self-initiated (read as make-my-own-case) jobs rather than run from call to call, although those days do happen here. I still make car stops. I still make DUI arrests. I still handle drunks. I still handle domestics (although I have learned the art of how to deal with them solo when necessary). I still get to chase bad guy (and bad girls), both on foot and by car (which is just as fun as it was in the “big city”). I still deal with drugs like marijuana, meth, heroin, crack and even ecstasy. I have the benefit of being able to spend time completing an investigation & building a case rather than speeding from call to call every shift. In fact the majority of my cases turned over for prosecution are plead out rather than drag out in court for months (although my court OT sucks).

The point being is that I am doing the same job here as I did there. The only thing different is the environment.

Maybe that’s why I don’t understand the whole big city vs. small town cop thing. I believe that any man or woman that pins on one of those shiny chest targets badges we wear is worthy of my respect, regardless of whether they work in the largest of cities or the smallest village.

One is not necessarily better than the other, just different. If we can't respect each other, how the hell is the public supposed to respect us?
 
Stay safe my friends and wear your vest!

Why am I in disbelief!?

So there is this domestic call awhile back, when doesn't matter, and as a result of an overabundance of liquid refreshments this charming couple goes into meltdown one sunny day. This little donnybrook meanders its way outside, where the man of the house proceeds to lay his mitts on not only the love of his life, but also upon their brood of future field contacts children. The unscripted throw-down draws the attention of others, who decide that maybe the police should check the whole thing out.

So a-responding I go, along with the alphabet of other law enforcement professionals who hear the call go out. But that's good, I like taking friends with me to exciting places. Anyway we all get there, and I get the story from the victim, the suspect, the neighbors, yadda yadda yadda...you get the picture.

As a result, the aforementioned man of the house goes to jail in the back of a black & white while I patiently explain to Mrs. Man of the House her options (restraining order, victim assistance, etc.), all of which she agrees that she will do because she just wants out of the relationship and just can't be with someone like her husband.

Now I should be happy & content that I did my job, the Mrs is safe from the Mr, right?

Yeah right, now here is the flip side of handling domestics as a cop. After all of that, I later (the time and date are not important but it was somewhere between 23 & 25 hours) drive past the house and what do I see? The happy family back together. Like nothing ever happened. Like he never beat her or their children. You'd think that after being a cop as long as I have I would not be surprised by this. Well I am. I probably always will be. I will never understand why anyone, male or female, would stay with or return to another who physically beat or hurt them. 

Maybe I was just lucky that I was raised differently and never had to face such problems in my life.

Unfortunately, I will see this again, again and again I am sure. And I still won't understand it but will keep plugging away in the hope that maybe one day the victim will decide not to be a victim anymore.

Dude, did you seriously ask the police to do that?

So as a small town or rural police officer or deputy, you get used to having to perform duties that your brethren in larger communities don't normally get sent to or have to do. Its just part of the job and for the most part you don't complain about them because your just so happy for something to do.

But occasionally you get one of those requests that makes you ask what was that person smoking?

So the other day was my newest WTF moment. I am sitting around doing important police things, when my dispatcher calls and lays this request on me. 

Apparently there was a citizen at the nearby airport, which in reality is one landing strip with some tin buildings around it, who called to inquire if there was a taxi service that could provide them with a ride into town. My dispatcher politely informs the citizen in need that no, we have no taxi service, at which time they  want an officer to come pick them up and take them to as store in town to spend some money. My dispatcher, who is new to the wonderful world of public safety communications, then calls me to ask if I would be able to provide a ride for this brain trust citizen. 

[Cue sarcastic voice] Of course I immediately tell her yes, hop into my patrol car and run out to the airport to chauffeur the wayward pilot and his crew on their shopping foray. After all we are in an economic downturn, they are infusing much needed revenue into the community and I would be remiss by not playing my part in helping the local economy but not doing so.

Yeah right. Of course I didn't do that. What kind of idiot flies a plane into a rural community of less that 2000 people, believing that there is a taxi service!? And then to have the stupidity audacity to think that anyone in public safety, in particular the POLICE, would carry you about town so that you could shop!? It says POLICE not TAXI on the doors dude! WTH were you thinking!?

I did however ask the dispatcher if 1) she was serious, which she assured me she was, and 2) advised her unless it was an emergency such as illness, death or the end of the world, we do not provide taxi services to people for the purpose of shopping in this community and that maybe they should utilize the service of the "Skymall."

My message was relayed to the misguided pilot, who of course was appalled by the fact that the police would not help him acquire more personal property and instead started up the plane and flew off into the wild blue yonder leaving  me to sit around and shake my head in amazement.

Oh well, at least I have another entry into the strange requests column.