By Cuffsandcops

Continued from “Side Job Deputy”

The plan was for me to meet the deputy at the station he works out of at 0900. I woke up early to get ready and received a text message from him pushing our meet up back until 1000. The station is about a 15-minute drive from my house. I put on a blue polo shirt, gray pants, and my tactical boots to meet the dress code as described by the deputy. I grabbed two GShock watches, my water bottle, wallet, and just my house and truck keys. I didn’t want to have the cuff key that’s always on my key ring with me.

I texted the deputy that I was on my way to the station and left my house at 0945. I had driven past the station the previous week to know where it was, so I knew where I was going. I pulled into the parking lot behind the station where there were many marked units and other vehicles and found an empty spot. I texted the deputy there I had arrived, grabbed the items from my truck, and walked towards the station. I didn’t know if the deputy was inside or in a vehicle. All the doors required authorized entry, so I stopped on the sidewalk next to the building.

As I turned around to look back at the parking lot, a unit pulled up with the passenger side window down. The deputy asked if I needed a lift with a big smile on his face. I opened the door and got in. The deputy immediately handed me a flashlight and said it was a good thing to have on hand. I then held out the two Gshocks, a GW9300 Mudman and a GA700 for the deputy to choose from. I suggested he try one for a few hours, then the other before making a final decision. The Mudman had gold accents like his uniform. The GA700 is an analog and digital combo and easy to read. The deputy selected the Mudman, took off his smartwatch, and strapped the GShock on. I put the GA700 on my wrist.

The deputy drove his SUV around the corner and pulled into some parking spots on the side of the building. He talked about how he drove this unit every day he worked. He shared it with another deputy, but she was out of work for a few months, so only he used it. We got out and he talked about the lights that he had flashing and the markings on it. We were using a traffic unit and it had some differences from the more common units on the road. He opened the backseat door and talked about the updated seatbelts that no longer required officers to reach over the person sitting there in cuffs. The deputy closed the door and asked if I was ready to go. Before pulling off, the deputy said he expected if we were to get into a foot chance with someone, that I would be running right along side of him. I assured him that I had his back.

We weren’t on the road more than a few minutes when a call came in. The deputy responded on his radio, and we headed to the scene. He allowed me to get out of the SUV and I helped take inventory of the items in vehicle that was getting towed. The deputy tested some evidence using a kit from the back of his vehicle. Once the car was towed, we headed to the hospital. There was a line up of EMTs with patients waiting to be checked in. The deputy handed over the person’s phone and the business card of the tow. I noticed one of the EMTs had a GShock on worn on the underside of his wrist. We left the hospital and headed back out on the road.

The deputy wanted to fill his tank because he had planned on assisting the state troopers with an investigation in the afternoon and thought we could potentially get into a pursuit. While filling up, the deputy chatted with a detective from the city police. While we drove away, I learned that the deputy was 41 years old, had worked for the department for almost 16 years, grew up in the area, and served in the military. He talked about how he loved being a traffic officer and how most departments no longer had units devoted to traffic. The deputy said he could easily drive over a hundred miles a shift even when assigned to a post or beat, which consisted of an area of the county. He said that he works four days on, three days off, four days on, four days off and was permanently on the 0700-1700 shift. The deputy picks up over time whenever its available including the sporting goods store, concerts at local venues, and late-night bar details.

After getting gas, we ended up at a garage that specialized in first responder vehicles. The deputy and the boys from the shop were very friendly. They showed us a crazy light system they had installed on a unit from a local township. They were also installing the cage in the back of the unit. The boys helped the deputy swap out the wiper blades on his SUV. It was then time to get back on the road.

As we traveled north, the deputy said that valid inspections stickers are gray and red currently. Any other color sticker meant the inspection was expired and was reason to pull someone over. No sooner had the deputy explained this, he threw on his lights, made a U-turn, and had a vehicle stopped on the side of the road. The driver had a suspended license, was in possession of a fake inspection sticker, and had an outstanding traffic issue. The deputy wrote the driver 3 tickets. The driver had to get picked up by a family member and sat in the backseat until that happened. The deputy checked the backseat to make sure nothing had been dumped there. He said there was paperwork involved with that incident, but he would complete it at the end of his shift.

The deputy wanted to get a coffee so we headed to a convenient store. I used the bathroom and we discussed lunch. The deputy told me about a car that regularly stole gas from the store. He then learned that the troopers were taking longer than expected to set things up and we were not likely to be joining in that as planned. We headed to grab lunch. The place was busy, but the line moved quickly. The deputy was familiar to the employees and chatted with them while we waited. We ordered, a police discount was applied, and the deputy covered the bill even though I had offered to. He chose a table and removed his vest containing the majority of his gear and set it in the booth next to him. The deputy was really easy to talk to and the conversation flowed. Once back in the SUV, which had been running the entire time we ate, I asked about his uniform shirt. It was made to be worn with his vest, so the sleeves had patches like a traditional uniform shirt, but the parts that were covered by the vest were a more breathable fabric. We then talked about what pieces of gear were provided versus what the deputy paid for on his own and his preferences for boots and handcuffs.

It started to rain so we drove around through a few neighborhoods and looked at the lake. The deputy took a call from a coworker who was out injured. Afterwards we talked about the impact of marijuana becoming legal and how operating under the influence was measured. I asked about his worst memories and his favorite ones from his career and was told some very interesting stories. We then received a call about someone flashing a gun during a road rage incident and set off to see if we could locate the vehicle. We drove up and down a stretch of highway based on where the flashing had happened and the direction the vehicle would be heading if it were going to its residence based on the license plate that had been provided. We were unable to find the vehicle and the search was called off.

As we exited the highway, the deputy thought he saw the car that was stealing the gas from the convenient store. We tailed it for a bit. The deputy threw on the lights and sirens and pushed to catch up to the car. When we finally got behind it, the license plate did not match the suspected vehicle. The deputy was had gotten excited about the chance to catch this criminal and he was disappointed when it was not the correct vehicle.

The deputy then took up to a location where drivers frequently turn left when there are multiple signs indicating that was against the law. One truck ended up getting a ticket while we monitored the spot. The deputy said it was about time for us to head back to the station. He wanted to show me the inside. The deputy said that I had been asking good questions throughout the day.

I had noticed two pairs of flex cuffs in the passenger side door earlier in the day. I pulled out a pair and asked about them. The deputy sad they had been used on rioters and had to be cut off. I would have asked for to try them on, but the deputy made it seem like he didn’t have the tool to cut them. Instead, I asked if I could experience being handcuffed and sat in the back of the SUV noting that I had already been in his cuffs at the sporting good store when we first met. The deputy agreed and we drove back to the station.

We entered the parking lot and the deputy asked where my truck was parked. There were noticeably less vehicles in the lot compared to when I had arrived in the morning. We drove up behind my truck. I asked if I should transfer my belonging to my truck and the deputy said no. He came around his side of the SUV with his M&P cuffs in hand. I turned my back to him. My left hand was grabbed and cuffed. He them slapped the cuff against my right hand and pulled the lever double lock. The door to the backseat was opened and I got in as best I could. The deputy said to imagine doing that not sober and needing assistance. He closed the door and I sat there for a minute. The door was then opened, and I was motioned out. The deputy took the cuffs off as fast as they went on. He told me to hop back in the front of the SUV and we drove to the station door.

The deputy scanned something to open the door. He had warned me that the station was pretty barebones. On the left side was an evidence room, interrogation room, workspace, and 3 offices for the higher ranking officers. The right side contained another workspace, a bathroom, and three cells. The cell doors had to be removed years ago. There was a bench with a pair of handcuffs attached to a bar in each cell. Some of the restraints looked like they were unusable. The station would only hold a suspect for a very short time before being transported to the central booking for the entire county.

The deputy talked with a fellow about a gun they had recovered the previous day and I was shown a picture of it. The deputy photocopied the tickets he had written throughout the shift. We headed back outside. The deputy asked if I had enjoyed the ride along. I told him I had very much. He then gave me his personal phone number and said that I should join him again in the summer. I said I would like that. He asked if I wanted the GShock back and I told him it was his as long as he would use it. The deputy assured me he would. I thanked him for allowing me to enter his world for the day. We shook hands and parted ways.

After being home for a little while, I sent the deputy a thank you text. I told him to keep me in mind if any opportunities presented themselves that I could get involved with including training scenarios. The deputy thanked me for reaching out to ride along and said most people never look into going on one like I did. He said more ride alongs get me more experiences. I replied I was eager for more. I hoped he was able to get his paperwork done and was home relaxing. I then sent him a video about the GShock he now owned and told him to enjoy the watch. The deputy said it was an okay day, busy but dead. I had a great time getting to know the deputy and getting involved with the calls. I learned a lot and felt a nice connection with the deputy. I plan to hit him up for a summer ride along and who knows what else might pop up in the future.

The End