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911 because he won't share the cigarettes?

 I took one of the most childish calls that did not involve a kid and never wrote about it.  There was an argument over cigarettes and how one person in a group home for people who are deemed unable to live alone are court ordered to reside.  The fight was over one of the residents purchasing tobacco supplies and the other rolling the cigarettes with the roller device.  The problem I guess was the caller was unable to roll their own due to disability or what have you and had purchased the supplies to have a neighbor assist.  The neighbor in turn decided to take all the resulting smokes and not share.  This absolutely resulted in a 911 call, which was simply handled by officers calling the staff of the facility and telling them it was an internal issue as the situation was a civil agreement between the two and nothing illegal.    I just have to think about the way people struggle to realize that the police are not needed for every instance. ...
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Recent posts

Self Incrimination

 This shift started out like the rest, but it started out from zero to 100 in minutes.   The non emergency line was ringing and then the 911 started ringing.  The 911 caller wanted an officer response because he was being told by a neighbor he shouldn't be driving his vehicle and needed to park it because he was drunk.  All the while he was slurring his words and sounding very drunk.  The officers had already been going to the location due to another call reporting the argument.   The officers cleared and then not 10 minutes later another call reporting they were arguing again.   The drunk decided it was smart to still be upset and go kick the door of the neighbor who told him he shouldn't be driving.  The door assault resulted in damage to the door.  And then the neighbor reveals to the officers that the drunk had left his young daughter at home while he left to go drink earlier.    I have came to the realization peo...
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"Tall Boy"

This shift I handled a funny one.  An upset former customer had went and tried to purchase a "tall boy" but the convenience store was refusing him a sale because we had taken his drivers license when he received a DUI.  He said he had his temporary but they told him it could be 60 days before he gets his photo ID.  He ranted that the officer that wrote him the ticket who was working this shift told him he could contact us if he had issues.  So tonight he calls the police department asking for us to confirm he is over 21 so he can buy his single can of beer, and work on his derby car.  He continued to rant, and I put him on hold to connect the officer to him.   The officer picked up and told him businesses have the right to refuse a sale to anyone and there was nothing we could do to assist him.  He continued cursing and yelling so the officer hung up.   He then called back upset because the officer hung up on him, so another officer spok...
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      Earlier this year I wouldn't have thought I would have nearly died.  I ran into the year ignoring things and like every other year, not going to the doctor.   At some point my wife said you need to establish a doctor.   I went and did the discounted lab work and they found out some of my labs were out of wack.   On my first appointment we made a plan, with me still guiding things, ignoring the possibility of having to do some more invasive testing.   Additional appointments were scheduled with another provider who did extensive blood work and couldn't find the solution.   I then agreed there was an issue and I should do the invasive procedures.  During those I developed heart issues, and they found I had an infection.  This resulted in damage to my heart, due to its long term aggressive nature towards my heart.  For nearly 2 months I was on antibiotics to help kill it off.   It damaged m...
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Unusual

 I used to be pretty superstitious.   I used to believe that what someone else or myself did caused a chain reaction.  And at some point I figured out things happen when they happen and no matter what food I chose to eat, what item I touched, or even what clothes I wore was going to affect that.    Holidays are that way in dispatch, some co-workers believe that just the holiday is going to be a negative day.  I try to come in and stay level headed and without bias.   July 4th, I was really surprised that I took not a single fireworks complaint call.  Yes, I had one the night prior but not on the 4th! We had a reported accident, units all responded and found the vehicle but not the driver.  I guess someone had picked up the driver and left the accident.       Another day closer to vacation and I am in vacation mode.   I realized that I had not yet done my monthly dispatch training, so I logged on and com...
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Ode to the 4th of July

 I think everyone who works in public safety will agree there are holidays you don't mind working, while others you dread.   The 4th of July is one you really cannot ever bet on being the same.   The law enforcement side we get all sorts of driving complaints, family disputes, alcohol induced fights, child disputes and vehicle accidents related to alcohol.   And on the medical and fire side we often see overlapping issues from accidents, and fights, to those involving issues from firework related accidents. Some years back I had taken a call from the ambulance crew who was staged at one of the local fire works displays.  It was when they radioed I knew something was wrong.   The traffic was to relay that they were going to make there way through the crowd towards an area where a firework had been misguided and instead of going up and went horizontal and into the crowd.   The result was several people getting burned.  The r...
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911 for Fireworks!?

 Tonight, my first call of the night was very important.  It was an older lady who wanted to complain about fireworks.  It wasn't that they were annoying to her animals like some.  This one was upset because as she stated it knocked the power out to her garage earlier because of the vibration from the explosions.   I had to laugh before I assigned it, thinking if your electric goes out due to vibration from fireworks would it not also go out during a thunderstorm? We have a reported stolen vehicle this weekend.  No one knows where it went but the suspect had direct access to the keys left on a nail in the house where has been staying over a week.   Of course the family denies he was given permission to drive or operate the vehicle.    The officers located a missing kids that has been running for some time this weekend so there is that as a plus. On the negative I tested positive for COVID last week.    I had no major sympt...
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Providing help

 This shift started like most, a smooth change over from the prior shift.   I arrived on time and my co-worker presented the normal change over, and wanted me to review a call that had been placed by a male who has been the victim of abuse by his wife.   He was upset that he felt as though the abuse he has endured has been overlooked and ignored.   He reported that she had beat on him but it was not in our jurisdiction.  I recall several instances where they have had domestic altercations and nearly every time neither one of them had wished to pursue charges.   They always downplayed it to just verbal arguments and went on without wanting to provide statements.   At some point during his call a couple of officers were talking and joking around in the background and the caller became upset saying he is tired of being laughed at and made fun of because he is a man and a victim of abuse.   He insisted on speaking with th...
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