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 the chief, and said he was going to contact the state police.
I have often realized how insensitive background conversations can sound while someone is on the phone and I avoid talking or joking around while someone is on the phone especially at the department.
A guy I am somewhat familiar with made an appearance wanting to speak to an officer about an issue with a local bar. He has long dealt with his alcoholic wife hiding alcohol and abusing her body. He went to the bar and asked them to stop giving her alcohol but they once again had allowed her to get very intoxicated to the point they had to help her home. He was pretty upset and the officer explained to him that as an adult the bar really had no obligation to refuse to serve her based on his request.
I've never personally dealt with an alcoholic closely. I have a relative who was drinking to deal with some sort of hidden stress. She always claimed that no one would understand what caused it and opening up about it would create more issues. I have speculated several times what it might be, but I don't know for sure. I find myself enjoying alcohol once I start drinking but I am responsible. I avoid drinking if I know others around me also are, so someone is still responsible enough to think clearly. I am cautious when it comes to drinking knowing that I have to drive home. This family member had empty bottles all over the vehicle when we had checked her vehicle after she claimed to have stopped drinking. She would come to family events and smell of alcohol and promise everyone she was sober and it was her perfume. People are not stupid, when the smell is from your breathe its not perfume. This went on for some years and got worse to the point she would spend the entire day in bed claiming she was detoxing. It got to the point she ended up in the hospital and they told her she had nearly killed her liver, and she was going to need a transplant. She again came home saying she was clean. She then went into the hospital again and they again scared her and now she has claimed to being sober for a year. I hope she is, but if she isn't her health will show its face.
I'm not one to take bad directions or addresses lightly. I get upset and have to correct people when they point the wrong direction or refer to this way or that way from someplace and point out the actual direction. Tonight I had 3 callers that couldn't tell me the correct directions and instead wanted to use businesses from their locations. I had a medical call for a 2 building residential facility, I asked where they were located and they provided West as the location. EMS arrived on scene and then asked for a repeat. I gave them what I was told West. They then told me it was the East building. I cannot believe you work in a facility and don't know which building you are in! Either way help was sent and arrived as what the caller provided.