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Monthly Archives: March 2009

Honor the Fallen

27 Mar

 

rohnert-park-officers-at-oracle

photo by Scott Manchester for the Press Democrat

Last week, 4 Oakland Police Department officers were killed in the line of duty.  Today, my department, along with the rest of the Sonoma County Law Enforcement agencies, formed a procession* to attend the funeral.  Police Officers from as far away as London are in attendance today.  The Oracle Arena is a major event and sporting arena seating over 19,000.  Today – it is full with these officers, civilians & citizens to the point of overflowing into a nearby outdoor stadium. 

A police funeral is an awe-inspiring, deeply moving and gut-wrenching experience.  It is something that I wish every citizen, especially those against police, would experience for themselves.  To understand.  But then that would mean more funerals and that isn’t worth the enlightenment.  There was a demonstration in San Francisco trying to garner support and sympathy (wtf???)  for the criminal that killed these officers.  I cannot understand that.  What did this criminal (who also died in this incident) ever do for his community beside, among other violent crime,  rape a 12 year old girl?  Compare that to the years of service to the community these fallen officers gave and their ultimate sacrifice?  Sometimes, really, there are just rotten people out there who do not deserve our sympathy.   That ridiculous demonstration only had about 60 thoroughly misguided participants. I’m comforted that the over 20,000 people present this morning are sending the message that they understand.  And are grieving for these 4 officers and their families, as well as the loss to their community, a community that extends far and wide across the nation and across the pond.

I didn’t know these officers.  But they are a part of an extended family.  Their deaths resonate in the hearts of everyone in law enforcement because it could have been my friends. It could have been my co-workers.   I grieve for the possibility that this could happen to my agency and I grieve for those whose worst nightmare has come for them. 

So today, I ask that you think of what our police officers and their families do every day to ensure the safety of the community you live and work in. 

Remember the fallen Oakland PD Officers

Sgt. Mark Dunakin
Officer John Hege
Sgt. Ervin Romans
Sgt. Daniel Sakai

*The link updated the picture from the police car procession to officers walking into the oracle- and those guys are my actual friends and co-workers.  Those officers are the good guys.

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2009 in Police Stuff

 

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May i direct you….

19 Mar

One of my favorite scrapbook magazines, Simple Scrapbooks, recently closed shop.  I can’t tell you how greatly this saddens me.  It was my Go-To manual for my scrapbook weekends and I love LOVE LOVE Cathy Zielske.  Her blog I follow faithfully, and when she says “JUMP”, i say “how high?”.  Well, i would if she ever actually said that to me. 

Cathy sent her readers over to one of her Simple coworkers- Angie Lucas’ blog.   She just started up her own blog recently… coincidentally after she found about 40 extra hours a week free.   I can see that she’s a natural- witty, charming, intelligent… and she has great ideas now to boot!  Go to this link and you’ll see what I”m talking about!!

Angie’s Great Idea!

Then add her to your google reader, RSS, feedblitz, to do list- whatever you use.  She’s worth a few minutes every day!

 
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Posted by on March 19, 2009 in May i direct you...

 

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Police Department Expose’ Chapter 1

11 Mar

sotp-copyOkay- 3 comments, 2 with questions, on my previous post offering to spill all the secrets of your local PD.  What? No one wants to know?  It’s okay actually- my lack of regular posting crafty items has affected my usual inflow of visitors.  I’m okay with that. A little.  I kinda miss you all actually.  I may have to write something completely outrageous to get you all to come back…

My first question is from Robin, who wants to know how she can find out why the police helicopter is circling above her house for hours.   I have a few suggestions.   The most do-able is buying a police scanner and getting the channel frequencies and police radio codes from either Radio Shack (if they still do that) or online.  I personally don’t have a scanner, so I’m not sure how much they are.  They can’t be too expensive, considering how many people have them.  But that is the easiest way. 

For the really big stuff, there is technology now that’s called Reverse 911 – which means the police department will at times record a message and have a computer make phone calls to a certain segment of the population.  This would be done if the police are in hot pursuit of a suspect that is wanted for a violent crime, or a kidnapping, or a major gas leak – something really critical to the safety of the community.  Unfortunately- it’s a recording- which means half the time, the resident will hang up before they realize it might be interesting.   

Another option, and one I generally don’t recommend, is to call and ask.  There are times where that is okay, such as your house is in the middle of the action and you’re getting a  little nervous- or you saw a shadow hop your fence.  Or, in Robin’s case- ongoing suspicious activity that is concerning.  That is a perfectly fine reason to call, especially if you offer to make calls into the police to assist them in solving it.  Just try to make it when the activity isn’t actually in progress.   Otherwise, consider that the dispatch center is a little busy with calls and radio traffic and making phone calls related to the event and that you will get a very minimal, hurried answer from a harried person who doesn’t have time for “sticky beaks”. 

“Sticky Beaks” is such a fun term, don’t you think?  I’ve heard it twice this week- once from a co-worker who is British, and the other from an Australian person posting a comment in a forum. Translation: “Nosy”.

I will say I’m a bit lucky in that my agency is on a county wide dispatching computer and so I can pretty much be the biggest sticky beak there is- seeing what’s happening in any town in my county.  So a final option would be to become a dispatcher yourself to satisfy the nosy-body in you.  Off duty, though, I’m just as frustrated as you.  Hoping the paper will have something.

Which makes me think of another option. You could always get the press to find out for you by making a call to the press and say “hey- do you know why the police helicopter is circling over my house for hours?”.  THAT will send those journalists running – so you could try that.  Unless they know already and don’t care.  But they may tell you and you’re happy now.  Or not…

Stay tuned for the next chapter in my Police Department Expose’ series, where I will address Britiney’s comment : “Oh My Werd! I want it all, baby!!! Dish the dirt! I cannot WAIT to hear it ALL!!!”

 
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Posted by on March 11, 2009 in Police Stuff

 

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Marco?

07 Mar

Polo?

marcopolo1

This cracks me up…  And to think it came from a newspaper- probably the reporter who checks the police log daily… hoping something interesting is in it.  This must have been golden for him!  If it’s real.  I tried Snopes and it wasn’t listed. But criminals really can be that dumb.

There was a thread I saw on Splitcoast where a woman was explaining her absence from SCS.  She checked in with her group, letting them know she had been in jail and explained the whole sordid story.  My law enforcement nose told me that she wasn’t giving all the details because if it really happened as she said, she wouldn’t have been arrested.  There’s always more to the story. 

The response from her group was as expected- shock, horror, sympathy, anger at the police.  Only one person questioned it (and she’s in the biz).  I know the public in general has a distorted view of the police.  I get all sorts of crazy demands daily – by people who watch too much CSI or believe everything they see on TV as it applies to law enforcement.   I’m just some “girl” who answers the phone- “connect me immediately to the Desk Officer“!  So I thought I’d make myself available to answer any questions I can, about what really happens in a police department.  And what you should always question when you read accounts in the press.  I can tell you this for sure- every press release we send out looks different in the paper and not just because the editor fixed our typos!   Do you want to know what really happens in briefings?  What the cops are really like?  What dispatchers really do between 911 and radio transmissions?  (Well, you all know i blog…lol!).  I would LOVE to give the scoop on the normal day to day hilarity as well as worst calls ever, or what have  you.   Just tell me what you want to know!

I don’t know everything, obviously, but I’ve been a dispatcher for 20 years this October (ohmiwerd, i don’t know how that happened).   So come on!  Lay those questions on me!   This could be fun (or my worst nightmare!).

 
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Posted by on March 7, 2009 in Police Stuff

 

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She’s just not that into you…

04 Mar

Thought I’d share a digi-scrapped page from my Project 365 book. I’m making 12×12 pages for a Shutterfly book using the same template for each week.  You all remember my love for vacuum cleaners, right? Heh heh…

Anyway I just wanted to get a post in because I feel I’ve neglected this little blog lately.   Admittedly… I’m just not that into it (stampin’) lately!

I’ve been overwhelmed by the constant barrage of new products, not just SU but Unity, MFT, Papertrey and all the other companies out there. THERE IS SO MUCH! And I look at my craft space and think- “how did this overtake my life?” It’s a prime example of our “Land of Plenty” and this economic downturn has reasserted my priorities a bit. While we haven’t really been affected financially, there was a couple of scary months during budget talks  that put some uncertainty into our job security.  We’re safe for now, but it led us to reorganize and reprioritize our budget.  And that actually turned out to be a good thing.

I don’t know if this state of mind is permanent or temporary. I have barely opened the SU catalog since it was released in January. It would be wasteful to not use the gargantuan stash of stamps, papers and miscellaneous embellishments I have accumulated in the last 6 years… but the desire has vanished! The blogs I subscribe to still wow me with their beautiful creations but the need to go immediately case the project or immediately purchase the products used is no longer burning in my soul! 

It may be that I have become a born-again scrapper, on the digital plane of existence. It may be that I’m also spending my time trying to improve my photography and take really creative shots of every day items (like my shower faucets) in my quest to fulfill my Project 365 quota.  Whatever it is, I hope it isn’t permanent.  Whatever this blog becomes, I hope you’ll stick around… at the very least to know if/when I’m selling my gargantuan stash!

 

Deets on digi-page:  Page template by Anna Aspnes of Designer Digitals, Background Paper- KTeague Hallow’d Out, Yarn- SAmarie Touch of Snow
Journaling:  A vacuum cleaner as the focal photo for the week? Huh? Wha? They say keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.  I detest this blue monster. I detested the purple one before him. I detest  vacuuming.  I wish it dead.  The rest of the week was highlighted by the cold weather and rain I so desperately missed, requiring warm sweaters.  And for Valentine’s, I surprised Keith with a tour of Schramsberg Winery- sparkling wine and wine caves reminscent of Felix Vineyards in Tarragona, Spain.  We spent the rest of the day in Calistoga, came home and played Wii.  I won.  A few games anyway.
 
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Posted by on March 4, 2009 in PaperCrafting, Photoshop & Digital Art

 

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