We had a minor supervisory crisis last Sunday night and I was asked to fill in for the Evening Shift. Okay, I hadn’t been in a street uniform in over a year, but I offered to help out. My equipment was mostly right where I had left it. I would be the only sergeant for the shift, but, hey, I’ve been there many times before.
Sunday afternoon arrived. I had borrowed the keys to a fellow sergeant’s marked Chevy Tahoe. When I parked at the PD, I loaded my equipment: admin files, statute book, traffic vest, spare flashlight, plate carrier with 2 rifle mags and med kit, AR-15, and shotgun. I fired up the truck’s computer. And I stared blankly at it for a few minutes before I coaxed it into full operation.
After preparing the day’s roster, I sat at the read off table and awaited my fifteen officers. Their reactions to my presence at roll call were amusing. Since this was a very young squad, most knew me as one of the detective sergeants, but they had never seen me in blues. The rest were new when I last worked the road. A few looked puzzled as they took seats.
I introduced myself and covered the assignments and officer safety issues for the day. I sincerely told the officers that I though they had the most important job at the police department. I thanked them for their efforts. Finally, I made a couple of snarky inside jokes to those with whom I had previously worked. “All right, let’s go out and have a safe shift and some fun.”
The Tahoe swept me out of the parking lot and onto the street where I was back in my element. Two radio channels hammered out voice transmissions, a CAD screen paraded the latest unit locations and active calls-for-service, classic rock provided the background sound track, and the city’s scenery began passing by my safety glass windshield. I really missed this.
Although I wanted to go to every call (for my own enjoyment), the troops need to know you trust them in routine matters, which I do. I showed some restraint and only went where I was actually needed. In the next hours, I stopped out at a disturbance at the County Supervisor of Elections, responded to a fight resulting in an injured child, pulled up at a multi-car crash, area checked for a theft suspect, and cruised a high crime area where I used to live.
As usual, the computerized administrative messages began rolling in. A dispatch supervisor requested that I review and cancel a call. An officer typed me a procedural question. Somebody else wanted to know if they could phone my cell about a child custody issue. When the Day Shift sergeants left, there was an hour where my span of control was 23 officers to one supervisor (me). Yeow.
At meal break, I made it home to see my wife and get a bite to eat. Just before I finished up, an officer sharply exhaled into his mic that he was in foot pursuit. Bye, honey! I roared off in the truck. The officer caught the retail theft suspect before I arrived on scene. I estimated the distance of the chase at about a half mile and the officer’s cardio capacity at above average. The bad guy was gassed.
After a positive ID by loss prevention, we went back to the department store. I made sure the recruit car taking the report would properly articulate their PC for the arrest and vehicle search. A DUI officer swooped in for some advice on one of her collars. I answered a text from the off-duty shift lieutenant–No, sir, I had not burned down his town–all was well.
One thing about working the road is that there is plenty to keep a supervisor busy. I finally found time to read police reports. Boy, the coppers had generated a bunch of numbers. This would take a while. My eye strain rose as the incident queue dwindled. I did not want to leave any work for tomorrow’s street bosses.
At my agency, Midnight Shift overlaps Evenings by two hours. I had a chance to catch up with the graveyard guys and K9’s before it was time for me to punch out. I reluctantly put a halt to the fun because it was 2300 hrs and I was expected back in the detectives’ bay at 0800. My ten hours in uniform had ended. I felt like Cinderfella.
Although I may be in the minority, I strongly feel that those of us in administrative positions should put on a uniform and hit the street to keep our skills sharp. It also reminds us as to what the officers and deputies are experiencing out there every day.
I had a great time reacquainting myself with the squad and with the duties and responsibilities of a road sergeant. The blue polyester and leather gear felt good. It was my pleasure to have everyone go home safe. I think I will be doing this again in the not-too-distant future.
Randall
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