Humpday Happenings...
Has it been a week, already?
Geez...how time flies when you're watching the world and shaking your head in disbelief at all the goings-on.
Still, we're not going to allow that to dissuade us from the task at hand; namely to bring you the things that make you scratch your head in bewilderment, cause you to wonder what is going on, and perhaps even get you thinking.
And thinking never really hurts anyone, especially the person DOING the thinking.
So, here we go...buckle up (it's the law, unfortunately), and enjoy the ride.
** Had some unusual things going on regarding the FWPD "blotter".
As you know, the website for our police department can be easily found, and you can see the number of calls placed into dispatch on any given day. Well, that's the way it's SUPPOSED to work.
But, in the last few days, I've noticed some odd inconsistencies...
For example, back on 17 April, at a house down the block (replete with typical renters of dubious motives), I noticed THIS particular scenario:
THREE police cars pulling up to the house.
Now, whenever THREE cars roll to a location, one would EXPECT it to be something rather "important", right?
I mean, when I shined a laser pointer into a car that was honking it's horn a few years back at 2AM, I was "fortunate" enough to have FIVE cars roll to my location...(one was even a K-9...nice doggy).
So, the three officers get out and walk to the house ( 2 male, one female - all were black officers), and after twenty of so minutes, they all leave the house. Two of the cars "cooped" along the street for another five minutes (sat two abreast) before they left.
Now, since I was wondering what would precipitate such an outpouring of resources to a single house, when no one was led away in cuffs, and no further patrols were seen in the area, I awaited the posting to the blotter the following day to see what "signal" the call was given.
Imagine my surprise when I could find absolutely NO CALL posted...!
To me, it was one of those "WTF?" moments.
Funny thing about this, I also heard NO radio traffic on the air during the whole time the officers were on scene.
Now to ME, that seems a might peculiar, given that all "participants" in this "theater of the absurd" were BLACK.
When those 5 cars rolled to MY house, the officers were MIXED. There was no "preference"...I had black, white, and Hispanic show up. And they there for the better part of a HALF-HOUR.
(How lucky for me - I got an admonishment for something NOT illegal - someone needs to brush up on the laws and ordinances of this city perhaps?)
Now, if this were some sort of "investigation", why roll so MANY cars?
Or, if this were something that required THREE cars, why would it NOT be posted?
I mean, if there's a signal *62* (Party armed), you have at least 3 cars rolling to the location.
If it's a ROBBERY (in progress), or a BATTERY, or even a domestic (with battery), the FWPD will roll multiple cars.
You get the idea.
Unless it was..."something else".?
I won't waste time and speculate, but let's just say the department has had a few officers in the past who performed in a manner unbecoming to the oath they took, and the shield they wore. One (black) officer used his cruiser as a mobile "No-Tell Motel" room. Another was involved with an illegal gun.
I won't get into the details of those cases, but let's just say it can happen in every department...and has.
It just seems too weird that this particular call to this house went "unreported", and no radio chatter came across. Every run is assigned a "control number" for a REASON, not the least of which is to track crime "trends" and produce the proper statistics.
But, we're not at the end of THIS story...not yet.
On 19 April, between the 20:00 and 20: 30 hrs, there were TWO calls that DID show up on the blotter for the same block as the aforementioned house (my block). The first call was for a signal *37* (parking violation), and the second call was for a signal *96* (battery).
I saw NO police cars in the area, as anytime I do hear someone rolling past, I take a peek to see if it's any of the vehicles I have on my personal "watch-lists". Certain cars exhibit behavior that can only be construed as "suspicious" in nature, and that I have witnessed passing something to another person. Make from that what you will. I have my own conclusions, based on prior activities in the area.
On the signal 37, even IF the vehicle drives off, a FWPD cruiser will drive through the area, and if no car is seen, the call becomes "unfounded"...simple, huh? I've seen it happen.
On the signal 96, an officer WILL go TO THE HOUSE to properly ascertain IF the caller is the victim, what injuries might have been sustained, who the perp was, file the appropriate report...the usual stuff. And it's not a "dash in, give a pep talk, and dash-out" kind of call. The officer on scene is usually there for at least 10-15 minutes.
I saw NO police cars on the block, unless they have managed to perfect stealth technology and render themselves totally invisible.
I find it curious why some calls appear with NO police cars one time, while police cars roll up another time, and NO CALL shows up on the blotter.
There seems to be an odd inconsistency in place here.
I can also say that Phil Marx has seen such things as well. He has been privy to calls that have not shown up on the record, and more than a few times.
Do we have a case of a "double standard" here?
Are there "certain" instances where calls are NOT being produced, and if not, why not?
Do we have officers fudging their time cards...or perhaps something else, that needs not be known to the general public?
Are calls being created to "pad the quotas"?
I know...you can guess about this until the cows come home, but when you're used to knowing HOW things are supposed to work, and then see something completely "off the wall", it makes you wonder.
I will be sending my observations along to the quadrant Deputy Chief at month's end, just to see what shakes out of this.
I really don't believe that the 3 officers that came to that house were "friends" of the family...not with the OTHER people I've seen come and go from that place since these "neighbors" moved in. Hell, most days, you can't even figure out HOW MANY are living in that place to begin with. There are enough comings and goings to keep a person guessing, that's for sure.
I'd probably wager the number of people in there violates not only the renter's agreement, BUT ALSO neighborhood code safety laws, which permit a specific number of people PER SQUARE FOOT of a residence.
(they slip under the "radar" all too easily and all too often when you've got multiple "cribbers" in 'da house).
These are the type of people you really don't WANT in your neighborhood, anyway.
When you have unsupervised kids running all over, young men spending the night there, and young women chasing after the young men, you've not got anything approaching a responsible home owner...or even a responsible renter any longer.
When you've got more "visitors" stopping by picking up some people, while dropping off others...that's cause for concern.
But again, this is all part of the wonderful world of ghetto-life.
It's caused many to flee the area unjustly, and others to become prisoners in their own homes.
It's even caused people to become a lot more vigilant, and constantly be on guard.
You never know when one of these "locals" will take a shine to YOUR place...and toss a rock through a window, simply because THEY CAN. It's "their" way if wanting you OUT of a neighborhood they want to have ALL to themselves. Sorry, but I don't see much "equality" in that mindset, or mutual respect, or even the smallest sense of "community", do you?
Well, that's the way THESE people like to play.
I also like to play, but I play to WIN.
And winning will be determined on MY rules, not theirs.
They win if they chase us out.
I win if I leave on MY terms, or if THEY are chased out...it's that simple.
In such a complex world as we find ourselves these days, you grab every bit of "simple" that you can find (the neighbors are already simple in ANOTHER way).
You do what you NEED to do to keep the Barbarians from the gates.
And if "they" don't like happen to your style, well, THEY can move.
It was YOUR neighborhood long before they attempted to make it theirs.
And if you're persistent enough, you CAN affect some change for the better, and it's not an easy road to hoe.
But it DOES make damn good sense in the long run...for any, and every decent citizen.
Be well, make a difference today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.