Miles's blog

Last night (and into this morning) I went on a ride-along with my friend Sgt. Michele Wagner of the Lakewood Police Department. I have ridden with Michele several times on patrol. I had fun, but, as usual, nothing eventful happened. In the four hours I rode we checked on a burglar alarm, handled a dispute between a security guard and an apartment resident, talked to a couple of hitchhikers, and woke up a couple who had decided to sleep in their car on the shoulder of 6^th Avenue. The biggest thing that happened the whole night was going to Starbucks where Michele had been selected “Customer of the Week.” When you work a shift that runs from 9 at night to 7 in the morning you drink a lot of coffee.

Last night, however, was way more exciting than the last time I rode with Michele. Then, all we did was drive around Lakewood and listen to the radio. I am minimizing. Michele did engage in a foot pursuit with a pair of uncooperative suspects who managed to get away. There were two small dogs, maybe 10 pounds, running loose around the neighborhood. Trying to keep them from getting run over Michele tried to catch them. However, the tiny beasts refused to answer her demands to stop, and flaunted her authority by running the opposite direction. Michele took off after them, first on foot, and then in the police car. I did not try to help. I was not about to get bit by a couple of mangy mutts.

This lack of excitement is common when I ride with Michele. You would have thought that the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend somebody would have committed some crime we could have responded to. Actually we did respond to a robbery call where a guy in a skull mask held up a motel, but other officers were handling that and we really didn’t get involved.

One of the reasons riding with Michele is so great is her desire to learn about prosecution. Many police officers are very good at police work, but lack the experience or desire to find out how cases progress after the arrest is made. Ultimately, this works to their and the system’s detriment. Cops who have sat through several felony trials, especially major cases, realize why the DA’s ask the questions we do. Seeing how a case unfolds (and sometimes folds up) in front of a jury gives a cop insight into what is necessary to sustain a conviction. Translating this to the street raises the officer’s level of performance.

I met Michele when she was a detective in the major crimes unit. She constantly asked questions about why I was asking for more investigation, or what was the importance of the detail I asked about. Through this process Michele became an excellent detective, and it was no surprise when she was promoted to sergeant before her 30^th birthday.

While we ride Michele and I talk about criminal prosecution, investigations, and personalities of people involved in the system in Jeffco. It is difficult to talk to her while she drives the patrol car, keeps track of the calls and officers on her computer monitor, listens to the radio, and answers her phone. But she manages to do it. I am always afraid I am going to get in her way, but she never tells me to shut up. When I was a DA she encouraged me to get involved with what they were doing if I thought I could help, and on occasion I did. However, as a lay observer I don’t think that is my place.

I have been riding in police cars since 1982, when I was an assistant city attorney in Aurora. The first cop I ever rode with was a veteran named Dave Cummings. Dave was a big man who had been around police work since the pre-Miranda era. He carried big baton and a giant flashlight. I will never forget when, during the first few minutes I was in the car, Dave turned and talked to me around the shotgun which was anchored just to the side of my left knee.

“If we start taking fire,” he said, “here is the emergency radio button and here is the release for the shotgun.”

Wha?????? Taking fire????????? Hey, wait a second, I thought, I just wanted to go for a ride, I have no desire to actually have to get involved with any real police actions. Then it occurred to me that wackos occasionally do start shooting at police cars, and here I was sitting in the front seat in the dark armed with nothing more than bottle of water. That was the first time I got scared. But it was also one of the last times.

The officers I have ridden with have always taken good care of me. Even when I have recklessly not taken care of myself. I was riding with Dave another time (I rode with him several times, and he taught me a lot about police work) when we responded to a robbery with a gun call. We raced over to the Pizza Hut and as soon as the car stopped I jumped out and began to run inside. “Stop,” Dave shouted. He had not left the car yet, and here I was racing to see if I could confront an armed robber. Yeah, stupid. But I learned.

The only time I got really scared in a police car was when I was riding with a sergeant who had been the victim of some incompetent lasik surgery. So incompetent he sued the eye doctor. But he continued to work patrol and invited me to ride with him. One night he had to respond to a scene with his lights and siren on down a still-busy Colfax. So while we were weaving in and out of traffic I thought to myself “I am running code with a guy who admittedly can’t see.” I began to wonder if that $100,000 payout to the families of peace officers killed on the job would apply in this situation. He did fine and we had no problems. However, I didn’t ride with him again.

Last night might have been the last time I ride along with a police officer. I will miss that.

# posted by Miles Madorin : 4:46 PM