Riding with a cop...

“To become a good guardian, a man must by nature

be fast, strong and a spirited philosopher.”

Plato, The Republic

It was supposed to start at 6:30AM…the place was dark…a little more so than the grayness of the early morning sky...daylight pushing its way at the edges of the Arizona Eastern horizon.

I had wanted to make sure I didn’t hold the process up, so had gotten there a little early. The instructions indicated that if the main lobby was closed, go around to the back of the building and enter the North Lobby…it was – I did.

The small North lobby was stark…sterile beige walls, hard, but clean linoleum flooring, and a few chairs scattered around the edges of the room…a photograph collage on the wall to the left showed what the place had looked like in decades past. 

The room wasn’t ominous in feel, but gave the distinct impression that if you didn’t absolutely have to be there, it would probably be a good thing.  A sense of warmth? NO!  Efficiency? Yes!

Straight ahead was a large darkened window. Just to its right was a small sign instructing people that if no one was there…use the phone by the door, and call somebody. I made the call, took a seat and waited.

I closed my eyes wondering what it might be like to be here under non-voluntary circumstances…waiting to be led into the bowels of the unknown behind the glass…behind the door.

The arrival…

It wasn’t long before the door opened and a young man entered the room.

“Hi, I’m officer Matt G., and it looks like you are with me this morning.”

He was young – late 20s, around six feet tall with short blondish hair. He was in full working gear to include a bullet proof vest, personal communication system - an earpiece connected by a coiled wire to a small box tucked away somewhere out of sight, and a black utility belt holding a number of easily accessible tools of the trade including his service pistol.  He projected an air of enthusiastic efficiency.

Wearing nearly 30 pounds of equipment can be somewhat obstructive, but he moved with a smoothness suggesting he was athletic and fit.

We left the lobby, retracing my earlier steps to his squad car idling in front of the station.

So began my first civilian ride along as part of the Oro Valley Police Department’s Civilian Academy.

Good cops – great quality of life…

Oro Valley is one of the 10 safest communities in the United States, and there is a reason for this.

The police department here has a strong community policing philosophy, meaning they work very hard to be visible and to interact as much as possible with people living here.

They do a number of things, like ‘shop with a cop,’ during the Christmas Season. This program provides money to disadvantaged kids, who then shop along side police officers to buy presents for themselves and families.

On a regular basis, there are ‘coffee with a cop’ events at local coffee shops and restaurants where the chief of police and other officers make themselves available to answer questions or just chat over a cup of coffee.

An important part of the philosophy of this department is: “Call a cop - get a cop.” The average time from a call for assistance to the arrival of an officer here is between 5 and 8 minutes. It is further the philosophy that it is better to call 911 for any reason of concern. The department strongly believes in prevention and community partnership.  Here, citizens are encouraged to call if they are suspicious of anything…so, make the call…even if it is a false alarm, an officer will show up AND thank you for calling in.

Citizen’s Academy…

One of the offerings is 12-week community program called the Citizen’s Academy. This is made available to the community twice a year.  

One evening a week for three hours different officers and civilian employees come and cover every aspect of police responsibilities and activities in the Oro Valley community. Generally speaking, two to three separate presentations are made during each three hour block.

Some of the topics include (but are not limited to):

Public information                School resource programs

Crime prevention                  SWAT team demonstrations

Collision investigation          K-9 demonstrations (police dogs)

Victim’s services                   Crime analysis/investigations

911 Call center                      Community Action Team

The Academy is a free service to the community, and comes with an evening meal.

Civilian ride along…

One of the opportunities for folks taking this course is the chance to ride for a few hours with one of the patrolmen…hence my early morning arrival at the station.

A lot of things happen as a result of riding with a police officer. Of course, if calls come in, you are an observer, but more importantly, you see the police as human beings…people who feel a calling on their lives for service.

Matt was the son of a military dentist and had lived a number of places around the world. He had a degree unrelated to law enforcement from the University of Arizona and had been a collegiate athlete. 

He was a young man with a strong spiritual base, who loved getting up every day to put on the uniform and face whatever presented itself, from helping someone who had fallen and couldn’t get up from the floor, to risking his life with people intent on hurting him or others. My few hours with him were enjoyable and instructive...a chance to see what happens 'behind the curtain.'

There is no doubt, every profession has both its good and bad people. It is easy to demonize everyone in a cultural group or profession based on the actions of a few. I am not Pollyannish about this, but we are grateful to live in this little town where “Serve and protect,” means exactly what it says.

“Hi, I’m officer Matt G., and it looks like you are with me this morning.”

- ted