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Posted on Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 6 a.m.

Christmas morning a quiet time for Ann Arbor police in The Deuce

By Rich Kinsey

There is perhaps no other time Ann Arbor sleeps as quietly as the early morning hours of Christmas Day. Nothing moves in the downtown area.

There are no cars, few businesses are open and Christmas isn't the kind of day police officers want to aggressively enforce the law. In fact, Christmas is probably your best chance of getting pulled over for a traffic violation and not receiving a ticket. No one feels like being the Grinch in uniform.

That being said, I remember a police officer who - outside of work - was a really nice guy. But during work hours, he had a grumpy shtick he liked to play, especially when he was dispatching calls.

GRINCH.jpg

One year just before Christmas, he was given a small Grinch toy. His eyes lit up, and a huge smile erupted on his normally gruff face. He looked like a kid who just opened a BB gun left under the Christmas tree. He proudly hung the Grinch from the radio console when he dispatched, at least during that holiday season.

Many years ago when I was working, Santa placed advance elves at the front desk of the police department because it seems police officers’ children have an especially difficult time going to sleep on Christmas Eve. During those years, the elves would call my house and speak to my sons to ascertain whether they were in bed or almost so.

The elves were checking because Santa had entered the airspace of the Great Lakes and would be arriving in Washtenaw County within the hour. It was a miracle how fast my sons performed their nighttime rituals and were in bed!

For parents forced to work shifts other than days (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), those elves told me of a service Santa and crew provide. They told me in some cases Santa can make allowances and provide early or later delivery of presents to allow parents to be there with their children to open presents.

These calls should be made to the North Pole as soon as the parents' shift is known because the logistics of this undertaking are staggering and complicated.

For any criminals who think Christmas would be a great time to commit a crime, forget it. There is nothing going on Christmas morning, and cops are waiting to gang tackle any call that slightly hints at a crime or criminality afoot.

An Ann Arbor killer and serial rapist fell prey to this phenomenon on an early Christmas morning. In a recent e-mail - cops stay in touch with each other after they pull the pin and retire - an officer reminded us of “the great race from the station to the Broadway Bridge” to make what the officer present at the time described as “the arrest of a lifetime” for two lucky officers.

The thug under arrest had terrorized the community for two years by the time he was apprehended that Christmas morning 15 years ago. What a Christmas present for the community and the hundreds of cops who poured themselves into that investigation.

On Christmas morning, neighborhoods are completely dark and quiet. Lights start popping on in houses about an hour before dawn. When patrolling in silence, officers can almost hear the laughter and cries of glee coming from the children waking to find evidence that a very welcome intruder named Claus has been in their house overnight.

No one will call 9-1-1 or the front desk because Santa Claus (a.k.a. “Kris Kringle”, “St. Nick” “Father Christmas” and many other local terms of endearment) is by far the most beloved intruder in the world.

For all of the men and women who will be protecting us on Christmas and throughout the year….THANK YOU AND STAY SAFE.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now writes about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

Comments

lynnc

Sat, Dec 26, 2009 : 10:34 a.m.

Hope you had a very peaceful Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Ryan Munson

Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 9:29 p.m.

Great story!

EDM450

Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 12:10 p.m.

In the 8 years I worked the front desk for AAPD, I can attest to what Sergeant Kinsey said. But what always struck me on Christmas morning at the desk, was the outpouring of kindness from the citizens who would show at the front door holding large amounts of home made goodies for those of us who had to work that day. That these wonderful people took time out from their families festivities, to come in to one of the last places anyone wants to visit on any given day, let alone Christmas Morning, was always a shock to me as well as the others working that day. Merry Christmas Sarg, and everyone working today at AAPD!

1973saline

Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 11:57 a.m.

Merry Christmas to all my brothers and sisters, see you this afternoon.

48104

Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 11:50 a.m.

That's what those crazy kids call it.

bs

Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 9:48 a.m.

Nice article...but "the deuce"?

Hunterjim

Fri, Dec 25, 2009 : 8:46 a.m.

Merry Christmas Larry D. Vern