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Category: Police

  • Ivy-League cops

    I had a piece in the Princeton Alumni Weekly about my experiences as a police officer. Turns out I’m not the only Ivy-League cop out there. Here’s an excerpt from an email I received from a North Carolina police officer.

    I thought I would take a bunch of crap for being an Ivy League guy – I try to keep it quiet as much as I can—but people eventually find out, and when they do, their first question is “why the hell are you here?” They assume since I could take my degree and go somewhere and make 6 figures, that must be what I would want to do. They are usually impressed that I would give up what their view of what a Princeton grad’s life should be and be a cop the same as them. As you wrote, I try to work hard and go home safely to my wife and daughter every day, and it has definitely given me a real appreciation for what I have in life. I do hope to move up in the department, maybe even be chief one day, but for now I enjoy being a patrol officer. For me, it’s so much better than sitting behind a desk or being in meetings or on conference calls.

    I replied:

    I got a lot of that “what the hell are you doing here?” too. But I had what was considered to be a good answer: “to write a book.” Still I was very surprised by what I considered the lackof flack I got from fellow officers for being a Harvard grad student. I also wonder if I would have stayed a cop had I been in a better paying department and a more pleasant work area. Part of the job I loved. Dealing with the same shits on the same corner every day, however, grew tired very quickly.

    I would take policing over a 9-5 desk job. But I’ll take being a college professor over policing.

  • English Narco-Colonialism

    There’s an interesting short BBC interview about the history of the opium trade in India under British rule. News to me.

  • Officer Pete says (rule 3):

    Please don’t make me nervous or scared. That’s how people end up getting hurt.

  • Details on the drug corner

    My friend emailed me this:

    I think we were able to pull that surveillance off not only because it was quiet from the rain but also because it was 1 month and 3 days after 9/11. We were rolling 3 – 4 deep and had every spare car on the road.

  • Drug corner in action

    Here’s a nice action video of a drug corner shot by a police officer friend of mine back in October 2001.

    Basically this corner is a three-man (or boy) shop. The guy in the green shirt is the money man and the biggest man of this not-so-impressive. The kid in the white t-shirt (let’s call him “Little Man”) is kind of a go-between man and utility boy. An apprentice. A thug in the making. By the way, I’m guessing he’s about 13. I’m also guessing that if you had to live in what probably passes as his “home,” you might be on the corner, too.

    The third guy (white do-rag ) may be around the corner hitting people off or may be out and about, drumming up business. He’s not around in the beginning and appears to not be in cuffs at the end.

    The drug stash is in the rubble by the steps.

    I describe an efficient drug shop in a lot more detail in my book, Cop in the Hood. Here, I’m not impressed. Things are sloppy. They’re all doing a little of everything. Too often the drugs and money are too often in the same hands. It takes way too long to complete the drug deal with white girl. And I think Mr. Green Shirt is drinking on the job. Plus they get arrested.

    It is good police work. Usually patrol doesn’t have the time to this kind of surveillance. Maybe the rain kept the radio quiet.

    3 min., 15 sec. No audio.

    Here’s a timeline:
    6:35:00 Kids standing in the rain.
    6:35:18 White addict comes up. Just strolling through the hood in the rain, minding her own business. How did I know she’s addict? Sometimes being a cop is very easy.
    6:35:45 Reach in stash.
    6:36:47 Go around corner to hit off.
    6:37:31 Reach in stash again, pass to young kid.
    6:37:50 Positively skips with delight because he’s about to make four sales!
    6:37:55 Cluster fuck of junkies on corner. Crowd control skills come into play.
    6:38:12 What the hell is that guy carrying?
    6:38:45 Junkies heading back after hit off.
    6:39:30 Counting money.
    6:41:45 Running away. Po-po must be near. (Is that a bottle or the stash in his hand? I think a bottle).
    6:42:47 Back at stash. He thinks he’s safe.
    6:44:29 Two of the three in cuffs.
    6:45:45 Police officer recovers stash.

    If you have police video I can have, let me know. Especially if you’re police. I promise to keep you anonymous and edit out anything that needs to be edited out.

  • KGA Radio is on the Air

    This video isn’t exactly action packed. In fact, nothing happens. Really. It’s just a one minute drive through the streets of East Baltimore. But that’s one minute more than you’ve probably seen. And notice the sleepy-voiced dispatcher over the police radio. If he didn’t sound sleepy, It would get your attention. He was skilled. The last thing you want as a cop is a dispatcher who can’t handle the pressure. When things are going crazy, you want confidence that the dispatcher at least has things under control. This guy was always on the ball. Plus I loved his smooth DJ voice.

    A bad dispatcher is dangerous. And even if nobody gets hurt, a bad dispatcher just makes work unpleasant. Dispatching is not an easy skill. And they don’t get paid much. So quality is too often low. This dispatcher was the best. From police headquarters downtown, if need be he could direct you in or of Iron Alley. He knew the streets of East Baltimore. That’s a safety thing. Too bad he didn’t work midnights.

  • Sometimes carers can get stitches, too

    Sometimes carers can get stitches, too


    [photo by Heather Charles/The Star]

  • Cop in the Hood back in stock

    After a frustrating and inexplicable two-week delay, Cop in the Hood in finally back in stock at Amazon.com. It’s about time. Do you have your copy yet? Let the book ordering begin…

  • State raids mayor’s home

    Is Baltimore’s Mayor Sheila Dixon a crook? I guess we’ll find out.

    Please note that in this case, Officer Pete’s Fourth Rule (below) does not apply.

  • Officer Pete says (rule 4):

    If you don’t want the police in your house, don’t call the police. I don’t want to be in your house either.