Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: slimm50 on October 01, 2004, 11:08:08 AM
-
My dad was a career cop with the Birmingham PD. Went through the civil rights upheaval in the 60’s, the “Pig” era in the 70’s…all that, and more. There were 5 kids in our family, and Mom was a stay-at-home mom, so Dad always worked at least one extra job. Some years two or three, just to make ends meet. Of course I, being the eldest sibling, would help him out on one of his extras, as I could after school. ( I remember one was a paper route).
For around 9 or 10 years Dad’s beat was in or near our very neighborhood. There were some pretty rough teenagers who got into trouble with the law quite often over the years and my dad “counseled” a few of the chronic trouble makers. They certainly knew who I was, and could’ve made my life pretty scary (I was at this time in grammar school, and they ranged in ages from 12 to 18 y.o). But because of the way Dad treated them and talked to them (kinda like the father figure most of them lacked in their lives) they left me alone. It wasn’t for fear of my father, but out of respect for him. This I learned years later from a guy who was in my 8th grade class and he was 17 at the time. Once, when I was taking night classes in college some of my classmates were a couple of police officers who worked with my Dad. They didn’t know who I was, and I got them to talking about office “R”. They told me he was one of the few officers in the dept that no one could say anything bad about. This was in the late 70s when “good” cops in Birmingham were hard to find. It’s because of the example that my dad set, that I have the utmost respect for the badge, if not always the person behind it. I’m happy to report that, for all he went through in his 29-and-a-half years on The Force, he was able to retire, and is still healthy and actively enjoying retirement in the Birmingham area.
Heh, I actually go to see him in action, once. Walking home from school one afternoon, I came upon him and his partner as they were manhandling a 300 lb drunk into their squad car. I’d never seen my father like that, and it wasn’t until then that I realized what he had to go through on the job. It really made an impression on my 10 year-old mind. I’ve never been prouder of any man than I am of my dad, and the way he worked hard and sacrificed for his family. For me.
Most cops are like that.
-
I know a lot of cops and am constantly amazed at how proffesional they can be under the endless barrage of emotion and abuse they deal with.
they are not saints by any means but they are pros for the vast majority.
This coming from someone who spent a long time on the other side of the situation.
lazs
-
Both my parents were cops.
My Dad reminded me of a cross between a Marine and John Waynes character "Roster" Cogburn (without an eye patch).
I have nothing but respect for them and those like them.
I only wish I had the desire to become one myself but I wouldn't last too long against the bleeding heart judges and lawyers these days.
I opted to become a fireman instead.
Those were good years.
-
My younger brother is a cop.
-
Blooz.....
I know that the Police have ride alongs where citizens go out on patrol to see what the police in thier community do. I heard that the Firemen do this also, and is it called a "Sleep over"
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl
-
My Father too was a CHP in CA. I heard alot of awesome stories.
One of the most interesting was....
In the Bay Area there was a car speeding towards the bay bridge. He was lead car persuing this guy. They stayed back while the suspect drove crazy in and out of traffic. The driver ending up hitting one of the main support beams on the bridge doing near 110-120mph. My father said when he walked up to the driverside door the man was sitting in the front seat with his head tilted up looking out the driver side window. He noticed the guys eyes were completely black. Then he realized there were no eyes, just black pits staring up at him , no blood. Per the death reports the driver being seatbelted into the car hit the beam with so much force his eyes were slammed back into his brain killing him on the impact. He told me that story about 15 years after it happened and to that day he'll never forget that man just staring up at him.
-
Ewww... no WAY! That is like a campfire horror story.
-
I have never personally met a bad cop.
to your Dad.
-
They are 'Policemen' , 'Law Enforcement Officers' ect,.... not Cops
That a show on TV about them.....:D
-
My Grandmother is a Harrison County WV Probation Officer, She retires the 15th of this month. She worked as a guard at the Salem/Industrial Home for Boys (Now its Youth, Coed:D) then she started working at the courthouse in Home Confinement, now shes retiring as a Probation Officer.
Her stories of her job are wild, I'm sure I'll here about them for many years to come. I keep telling her she should write a book titled "West Virginia's Dumbest Criminals".
-
Ahem... are there any "smart" criminals in West Virginia?
-
Just the other day, the local bar here got robbed, The bartender called the police, and identified the suspect as a local man, who lived directly behind the bar. The Salem police (all four of them), went to his house and saw the man stuffing his booty in his couch, A whopping $158 were recovered and returned to the Bar the same night, We found out hours after the robbery when the State Police called the house informing my Grandma that one of her "clients" was in the Regional Jail.
So yeah, theres no smart criminals in West Virginia, but most of them are in trouble for not paying child support, domestic violence or DUI, not High Speed Chases or Drive-by shootings.
Last Murder in Salem WV? In July, A man shot his wife and turned the gun on himself, before that? 1980 something, when a well known local killed another local over his wife or girlfriend or something.
-
Originally posted by midnight Target
I have never personally met a bad cop.
to your Dad.
to his dad also
By and large all the cops Ive met have been just regular people. There have been a couple that were jerks and a bit too full of themselves but only 2 I would classify as a POS that I can remember. And Even in each case other cops that I knew thought they were POS too.
Last I heard one of em got da boot cause he got caught shoplifting from ShopRite of all things.
The other seems to have disspeared. Dunno what happend to him other then he isnt working in the town he was when I was there.
But by and large 99% are just regular folk
I have alot of respect for cops. Tough job every day dealing with the general public.
I know I wouldnt want their job
And I know I couldnt bring myself to enforce some of the laws they haveto enforce and i would probably enforce too strongly some of my pet peeves.
Bus and Cab Drivers would probably get the bulk of my tickets LOL