Game of the Blues
Page 31
1974 Sergeant Charles F. Handorf
Shot and killed while negotiating with a barricaded man.
1975 Officer William J. Loftin
Shot and killed by a drunk disorderly person in a public street
1975 Sergeant Robert A. Lally
Shot while conducting burglary prevention door checks.
1978 Officer Charles Burdsall
Killed by gunfire after stopping a suspect robbery vehicle.
Working exchange day so another officer could be off with family
1979 Officer Robert Seiffert & Officer Dennis Bennington
Killed by gunfire while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect.
1979 Officer Melvin Henze
Shot and killed by a suspect of felonious assault.
1982 Officer J. Gary Weber
Struck by a vehicle driven by an intoxicated driver
Charles Klug also run down retired with serious disability
1987 Officer Clifford George
Shot trying to defuse a domestic dispute by a man with mental illness. Officer Norton, also wounded and police canine,
Bandit, killed.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain - Psalms 127:1
How Quick We Forget
Police officers are real people, with real emotions, hopes, and aspirations. Their vision is entwined with a quest to improve the life of all. A commitment to a humanly impossible calling: a bankrupt oath.
Our present society defaults to complacency and self-indulgence, while harboring a demand of perfection from its civil servants. Unyielding to any hint of weakness in the humanity of a police officer, it demands a cogent compliance to unrealistic expectations. Better to be a bond slave in Rome.
This trilogy calls common people to consider the officer’s full commitment: not perfect, yet pledged to our well being; not a “super hero”, how be it preferred, but a human hero; and yet still in the making. Would giving benefit of doubt be too high a price for the peace of mind this fragile, but still holding “Blue Line” gives our heads upon the pillow?
While society lives among many shades of gray, its expectations are black and white. Therein conflict inadvertently lies. Nonetheless, it need not lessen our security, peace, or well being. Although the threat is real, the target is sure, the aim precise; and evil and injustice should not prevail. The system has its weaknesses and its victories. It can be no other way. The masses cry, “If, I wore the badge, justice would prevail!” Pin it on B if you dare. In a crumbling society you too shall fail. Perfection upon this earth comes not on the shoulders of the police, but on the wings of the Messiah.
It is inherent upon the understanding heart to express thankfulness for its blessings. Portrayed in these pages are the mundane, routine, and deadliness of police work. Not pausing to count cost, police officers rush into the unknown in our behalf, per chance to aid, to buffer tragedy, to save a life–to oft to die.
How small the single rose seems, first laid upon a coffin. How grand it becomes. Count your blessing this night before a loving Holy God. Join others in prayerful appreciation for the officers’ safety on the streets of your city. In the briskness of the day, boldly take an officer a yellow rose and a smile, “Thank you for being someone I can call upon.” The efficacy of a lifted spirit cannot be measured.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
and
Professional Acronyms
A.K.A - Also Known As
A.O. - Arresting Officer, usually gets credit for the “collar”
ASAP - Alcohol Safety Analysis Program
Atta-Boy - A slang term for a commendation
B&E[B and Es] - Breaking and Entering: The unlawful entry or trespass into a structure of another with the intent of committing a crime; such as theft.
Capias - A bench warrant for arrest issued
Clocked - Pacing a car at the same rate, then locking in a calibrated speedometer at the speed.
Closures - A formal disposition of an offense; closed inactive meant no leads were available and in thirty days it would be filed; closed unable meant the probable suspect was known but lacking evidence or for other reason no prosecution or arrest could be affected; closed arrest indicated the case was solved by an arrest.
Collar - Credit for the arrest; usually the most instrumental in effecting the arrest; or the beat officer.
Colerain Hilton - city workhouse and jail
Dangling noose - a clip tie worn with the collar open and clipped through the button hole
Dicks - Detectives; stems from Dick Tracy
D.U.I. - Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs
Drop the hammer - to shoot at someone
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
Fender Benders - Minor traffic accidents.
FIR - Field Interrogation Report; a 3×5 card filled out on who, where, when, what and why a suspicious person was stopped and questioned on the street.
FIRed/FIRing - To execute a FIR [Field Interrogation Report]on a subject
four to six/4 to 6 - parking violation; areas where parking is prohibited from 4pm to 6 pm.
HK - “Who cares” phrase of unknown origin
HMVs -Hazardous Moving Violations
Hot-List - List of stolen or wanted vehicles
Hummer - A citation written in a questionable circumstance related to accuracy
I.A. - Internal Affairs; a team of officers who investigates improprieties, and crimes of other officers
LKA - Last Known Address
I.O.D. - Injured On Duty pay status
Mover - A moving violation
OIC - Officer In Charge
OTP - Over Time Parking (violations or complaints)
O.R. - Court released without bond, on “Own Recognizance”
Parkers - Citations for parking violations
Pop a cap - to shoot a bullet
Porter stick - larger than issued night stick rumored to have been made by a man named Porter. Popular for their resistance to breaking.
Rap Sheet - Arrest record
Roll Call - an informal time of briefing and beat information exchange before officers respond to patrol the streets.
Scrambled eggs - gold squiggle braiding on the visor cap of command officers.
Skipper - Officer who skipped from one beat to another when assigned man was off.
Spares - a reference to police cars used as loaner while the regular equipment is in repair.
Signals - 1- Call your station
- 2- Go to your station
- 3- auto accident
- 26- Signal announcing the availability of a unit for service
- 27- Signal announcing the unavailability of a unit for radio service
- 30F- Felony Wants Indicated
- 30M- Misdemeanor Wants Indicated
- 35- Arrived at scene
- 44- Answer radio with location
“Siding” a partner - reference to covering him, standing by him, being on his side.
Thin Blue Line - a reference to a police squad or department. Such as; “Crime would be rampant if it were not for the Thin Blue Line.”
UTL - Unable To Locate
Walk-away - Someone under an institution’s care, not arrested, but usually restricted because of their inability to care for themselves, and their safety, who manages to leave the grounds unaccompanied.