Okay- 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!!!”
