Once or twice a week the phone rang in the wee hours of the morning. “Hello,” I answered as I pull myself out of the covers and took the cordless phone out of the bedroom so as not to disturb my wife. I wake quickly, have good night vision and ...
Police work is not as easy as one might think. After college and the police academy, I was pretty brain damaged and thought that things were black or white. They were right or wrong, either against the law or lawful. WRONG! The best police officers operate in the gray shades ...
After a particularly harrowing incident, a character in the latest Joseph Wambaugh police novel, "Harbor Nocturne" tells his partner, “We came close to a bagpiper on the hill.” It's a reference to the tradition of bagpipers playing at police officers' funerals. Every police officer whether in a large urban area ...
The 5- or 6-year-old little boy crying must have been a sad sight for the cop down the road. He had probably seen the kid before in the neighborhood, but obviously something was wrong with the little guy that day. Clearly he was lost or scared of something. The off-duty ...
Sorry to hear the weather and keg laws dampened the spirits of revelers on Ann Arbor's Greenwood Avenue this past weekend. I’m betting my brothers and sisters in blue were not as bummed out. In fact, if they had a chance to stop for a piping hot cup o’ joe ...
One day, I was in the locker room of the Ann Arbor Police Department getting ready for an afternoon shift. I was in a really good mood because it was one of those perfect spring days. The sun was out, it was getting really warm out and I had gotten ...
Badges really do open a lot of doors that otherwise would not be opened. Some doors open to unspeakable horror, but other doors open to magic.
"March Madness" means different things to different people. It depends on your perspective. Sometimes "celebrations'' in the streets look more like a riot than a celebration. "Mob mentality'' takes over and crazy, foolish destructive things start to happen when crowds feel they have anonymity and a cause.
On the Thursday of spring break week many years ago, Jack was drinking a few beers and playing cards with a group of friends who also did not have the time, money or inclination to vacation in more sunny climes. His friends asked him how it was going after his break up with Betty. Jack said better than he thought. His friends kidded Jack, “Dude, she is crazy. You better watch out man, she might shoot you!”
It was a surreal moment burned in my memory. A chunk of concrete suspended in the air in front of the windshield of the van I was riding shotgun in. It was moving in slow motion from my right to left across the path of our van. Just before I ...
Things are going well as this mild winter is about give way to spring, when suddenly a call comes that rocks your world. Someone calls you and starts accusing you of some sort of crime or not paying something. The authoritative voice, perhaps with a foreign accent, is demanding that ...
After a rough night shift, there are seldom any family members waiting up to welcome home a weary crime-fighter. Not that most cops would share their evening's sorrows or tragedies, but it would be nice to get a hug, kiss and smile from a loved one. That is why the ...
I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and were pleasantly surprised. If however you were unlucky and got a "creepy" Valentine from someone you do not want a relationship with, it is time to deal with it. NOW!
What do a University of Michigan gymnast, an abused spouse, a lawyer, a store clerk, a college professor and a person 20 years and half a dozen states from an old co-worker have in common? They were each one of the approximately 80 victims of stalking that are reported to ...
You just had a nice dinner or movie with your spouse or significant other. While pulling in the driveway you notice something funny about the front door of your home. Even though you know you left it closed and locked — you always lock your door if you heed the ...
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com AnnArbor.com's partner news site MLive.com is on a quest to find the best barbecue in ......
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