A couple of nights down.

And it’s still as fun as I remember.

Was half way to my station for my first shift back and then I discovered I left a thermos full of coffee at home. Something about where I now (should I say again) work. It’s built on a dump and I was warned from day one “Don’t drink the water!” And making it through a night without coffee is a challenge. I tried to quit coffee once. Longest fifteen minutes of my life!

Got back to my station on Saturday evening and the place hasn’t really changed. The only man from my group of sergeants who didn’t get nailed on a rotational assignment is there running roll call. He hands me the list of my squad officers and says “Welcome back.” But things were a bit of trouble as I was already going thought caffeine withdrawal and I really needed something. So I grabbed a Coke from the machine and introduced myself to the rest of the sergeants.

I looked around the sergeant’s officer for an empty desk but the only one available has another evening shift sergeant working there. But as he is off tonight it will do for the moment. Hate to be morbid, but I know someone else will get nailed for a rotational assignment soon enough. My station has a high turnover of staff.

Roll call I get introduced and I mention “I’m on parole, just got out of jail…” They laugh. Some remember me from last year, which is good. Now I need to remember them a bit more.

I got to the car and attempt to sign on. That was an adventure. As I’ve not signed on in several months my account has been locked out and I spend the better part of an hour with tech support as they patiently work with me. After I finally get finished I find the new software for our vehicles that I haven’t dealt with since training almost eight months ago and I ask my buddy from roll call to give ma a quick refresher. Fifteen minutes later I know enough to be dangerous, log on with an email and tell the dispatcher “Sorry for being late…operator headspace and timing.” She says “No sweat sarge, it’s ok with me.”

I’ve been assigned a new district/beat to patrol and as the sun is going down quick so I am soon slightly disoriented. Thank God for iPhone and GPS. I just need to make sure I’m not stupid and make a wrong turn on a one way street.
After checking by with a few units I meet up with the other street sergeants and we have dinner. One is nice enough to pay for my dinner and I tell him “You’re on me next time.” Local Mexican place I’ve been to many a time. Love small places where the food is excellent, the service is great and the staff is friendly. No, not that, they give us discounts on the bill!

Made it thought Saturday, surprisingly quiet for the area. Wake up the next day and get ready to really start meeting the squad. After roll call I have them wait for me and I have a ten minute talk with them. Who I am, what I expect from them and what they can expect from me. One thing I made very clear, I’m not there to do their job but to make sure they do theirs. I let them know we will all get have a few minutes together time. I like to spend some one on one counseling time to know my people and find our what they want from the department. The Army did tell me a few things about developing personnel.

I’m able to get signed on fairly quickly and in no time I’m getting disoriented in broad daylight almost as well as I did in pitch darkness. I will come back to me in time. But several of the officers are surprised I show up on their calls. A technique a really good sergeant I had was he would simply show up on our scenes. One, it does make sure the officers know the sergeant is out there. Two, I can’t swear to my boss the job is being done unless I see it. So it was fun.

After assisting two officers with an aggravated assault scene (dope head punched out two old ladies) I get to have dinner again with my fellow sergeants. As the food is just coming to the table, I get a call from the officers handling that aggrieved assault and they tell me the suspect had been shot twice. No one noticed he was wounded and the “man of the hour” was in no condition to let us know. In the shape he was in he would be hit with buckshot at point blank range and not notice. So I get one shrimp-chicken fajita and drive off. We get on the scene, reinterview the complainants and witnesses and get a phone call from the other officers. The dude was shot with a .22. I’ll lay money he was shot somewhere else before he walked to the assault scene, but that is for an investigator to follow up with.

I get to the station and find out one of my other sergeants was nice enough to pay for me. I owe her one. We all spent a few minutes discussing how busy it was for a Sunday. Normally there is a reason for a Sunday to be busy, such as the Texans blowing a football game. Just able to make it out of the station on time and get home to meet the wife before she collapses after a day of studying.

God I love being back on patrol. Friends of mine are asking “Why don’t you get into an investigative assignment?” or something else. I have to say, a some point that will likely happen. Patrol is a young man’s game and I just turned the big 50. I will hopefully finish my master’s this year and take a shot at the lieutenant’s test in a few years. The department’s intelligence division is something I would like to take a took at. But for now I’m going to have fun and do what I became a cop for.

To my fellow Sheepdogs, be safe out there and I’ll see ya soon. I’m back on The Watch!