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Posted on Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 5:55 a.m.

It's either hot or cold in the police surveillance 'Box'

By Rich Kinsey

There is an old saying when in police surveillance that is a takeoff on a more common saying. The surveillance maxim is: “We do the time and they do the crime.”

Surveillance work is 99 percent tedious and boring, but 1 percent purely adrenaline laced magic. Other than traffic offenses or the possible drunken fight, officers seldom actually get to see a crime committed in front of them.

Statistically a police officer on patrol will actually see only one felony crime committed in front of them in five years. Surveillance officers get to watch them fairly frequently, but not without enduring hours and days of waiting and watching.

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One of the worst jobs in surveillance is manning “the box.” The term “the box” either came from the obvious shape of the vehicle used for a surveillance platform or from the 1967 classic Paul Newman movie Cool Hand Luke. In the movie, “Carr the floorwalker,” the nighttime guard in a prison camp, is explaining punishments for any rule violations to the new prisoners. Most of the violations were punished with “one night in the box!”

The movie box was a tin shed a prisoner was confined in that was too small to lie down in and either very cold or very hot depending on the ambient temperature. The police surveillance “box” was a “specially equipped” Ford Econoline van.

The special equipment consisted of insulated walls, heavy suspension, “double tinted” windows, a roof vent and a police radio. Later versions were equipped with a periscope that one detective, who was not used to the “box,” found too high for the University of Michigan carport on Hill street. The periscope in that instance was rather crudely torn from the roof of the box.

The insulation was more for sound dampening then passenger comfort. You would not leave a child or animal in a closed car in the summer or winter without someone calling the police about abuse or neglect. Leaving a “prepared” surveillance officer was standard operating procedure.

In the winter this meant felt pack boots and hunting suits or down sleeping bags. In the summer it meant an ill-prepared officer would at some point strip to his briefs in the sauna like surveillance platform whose only air conditioning was a cooler full of ice with a small battery operated fan blowing over it.

In the summertime heat the veteran surveillance officer wore a swimsuit and loaded “the box” with Gatorade and water. The box was never equipped with a thermometer because it would have frightened the lone occupant.

The bathroom facilities consisted of wide-mouthed gallon orange juice or liquid Tide bottles. The “box” was equipped with a community orange juice bottle, but I being bit fastidious preferred to carry my own -- thank you.

When the first female came on the surveillance crew we broke down and purchased a camp toilet. What luxury, but most male officers remained true to their orange juice bottles.

The object of “the box” was “close in” surveillance. In areas where occupied cars would stick out like a sore thumb, the box could be parked right in front of a suspect’s residence. The officer in “the box” had the unenviable task of staying on direct observation of the target house for the entire 8- or 10-hour shift. That is, even if using the orange juice bottle, they had to keep their eye on the surveillance target.

The neatest feature was the double-paned, tinted windows. You could see out, but no one could look in. Many people tried and many times officers would have to stifle laughs when people would look inside and comment that a rattle trap van like that probably would not have anything inside worth stealing anyway. Most, however, would still try the door handle to see if it was locked.

One officer amused himself by pointing his Smith and Wesson model 66 at the nose of the curious cupping their hands on the window to see inside. Little did the curious interloper know that there was .357-magnum less than an inch from his nose. The numerous fellows and dogs that used the tires as a urinal did not know anyone was inside either.

During its years of service, “the box” wore several different colors and lasted for years until it rusted down around itself. It never got driven very far, so tires would dry rot before they wore out. It just motored from its secret garage to the target and back.

It was ugly and uncomfortable but the “box’ witnessed hundreds of drug deals, dozens of fugitives apprehended, crooked cashiers in outdoor booths and several armed robberies. Most importantly it kept officers safe and bad guys guessing.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com. He also serves as the Crime Stoppers coordinator for Washtenaw County.

Comments

swcornell

Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 10:47 p.m.

Wow, This heroic story of the police going after real criminals and all you take away is the office pointed a weapon at a criminal in the process of committing a criminal act!! How about understanding what the police are up against for these criminal enterprises?

Jake C

Sun, Jul 3, 2011 : 4:12 p.m.

I missed the part of the story where heroic cops were aiming their weapons at criminals who they were prepared to kill (because that's the only time it's appropriate to point a weapon at another human). Instead, I must have only read the part where bored cops pointed a high-powered handgun at random pedestrians because they wanted to investigate why a heavily-tinted van had been parked in their neighborhood for days. Maybe we read different articles!

Ricebrnr

Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.

I wonder how the sheeple will reconcile this type of story with the only the authorities should own guns ethos? Where do you think the "authorities" come from? As an officer told me recently, from the same places as you and me with the same foibles. Those that come from no or very little gun backgrounds well...let's just say that's why there are holes in the ceiling of the range they train at.

Bcar

Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 7:51 p.m.

LOLOLOL!! hello nail, meet head... :) Ive seen the holes in the ceiling at their range... here's another good one. out of police classified at EXPERT shooters, in actual shootings, their hit % is only 18%... :O wow, I feel safe...

steve h

Fri, Jun 24, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.

Could someone please point out where it said the gun was loaded? just trying to be factual here.

aawolve

Fri, Jun 24, 2011 : 7:26 p.m.

Guns are "always loaded." Anyone should know this within the first 5 minutes of gun safety instruction. You never aim your weapon at a target that you don't intend to destroy.

Treelover

Fri, Jun 24, 2011 : 12:18 a.m.

WOW!!! Again... your tax dollars.....this is posted when offecers are being layed off?? Good timeing!

observer

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 10:18 p.m.

Rich, hard to believe you would write this....maybe you should take some time off and come back to reality......I thought the article "celebrating" the serial rapist birthday was ridiculous, but this one is running neck to neck with it........

Milton Shift

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 9:57 p.m.

Rich, what would you have done if you saw a drug dealer point a loaded gun at an unsuspecting citizen for "amusement?" I don't think you even have to answer that question for us!

jim spalding

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.

Really, our police officers point loaded guns at curious people? And just for fun? Ann Arbor may be laying off police officers in the near future. This story doesn't help the community getting behind their officers.

observer

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.

Rich has been reading too much Joseph Wambaugh again.....his imagination is running and running away.

Craig Lounsbury

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.

add me to the crowd that finds something a bit disconcerting about an officer finding "amusement" in his loaded gun an inch from an unsuspecting civilians nose. It doesn't seem to be the sort of sound judgement I hope for from our police force.

Bob Bethune

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 1:55 p.m.

I'm joining in the chorus here. What that officer did was criminal. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but I think a good case could be made that this officer's actions constituted a felony. Now that the officer's actions are publicly known, it is the duty of the authorities to investigate and punish the officer responsible. Time for the author of this column to share what he knows with the prosecutor or face punishment for failing to do so. The police are not above the law. Your response, Mr. Kinsey, is eagerly anticipated.

Eep

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 4:20 p.m.

I'm pretty sure Rich is talking about things that happened many years ago - the statute of limitations for any crime has long run. Also, since these officers apparently worked alone inside the van, there would be no witnesses or any corroborating evidence of any kind to this crime - there would be no way to convict the officer based only on what Rich says that the officer said about his own actions.

aawolve

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 1:03 p.m.

Amused themselves by pointing their guns at people's faces? Do they still conduct firearm training at the police academy? Do yourself and your co-workers a favor, and don't write any more of these columns. This only serves to support stereotypes regarding the police. I know my opinion was just lowered.

ThaKillaBee

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:38 p.m.

A police officer pointed a loaded gun an inch away from a citizen's face... for fun?? And we are supposed to share in a laugh? I usually like these columns, but this reads as a drunk uncle's story when you realize he just admitted something incriminating.

nixon41

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:01 p.m.

Don't judge anyone until you walk in their shoes.

Leanne

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 2:38 p.m.

Non sequitur: a statement (as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said

Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : noon

NASSAU COUNTY, NY - In the bar surveillance video, the police officer - whom sources identified as XXXXXXX XXXXXXX - is seen pulling out his gun while bartender XXXXXXX XXXX pours a drink at the South Main Street Pub in Farmingdale. The pistol-happy cop's barroom bravado led authorities to suspend him without pay. When the unsuspecting XXXX finishes his pour and turns back to his customers, he was greeted with the terrifying sight of a gun in his face. ( I realy enjoy your colums, however it is my opinion that anyone who menaces another person with a gun whether it can be seen or not should have his badge taken "permanently" and brought up on criminal charges as any other citizen would.) This sounds as if an "I am above the law" crime was committed. The Police Department has not yet charged him and I have a feeling they never will. this took place on May 05, 2011.

Nerak

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 11:37 a.m.

Rich, you're such a good writer. I always feel like I'm right there with you, when you describe these vignettes. Keep it up! And when you've finished with annarbor.com, or they've finished with you, take all these writings and put them in a book.

thehawk

Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 10:31 a.m.

So much for training. Pointing a loaded weapon at someone for fun is irresponsible at best. Don't aim unless you intend to shoot. Boredom is no excuse.