Our township has the lowest crime rate in the Newark area. I’m not saying that I am directly responsible, but it’s worth noting that the rate went down the year after I became Chief of Police and has stayed down ever since. American Lawman did a story that included a sidebar interview I gave when we arrested those bank robbers who stole a few million from Chase Manhattan a few years back, but other than that I’ve kept quiet.
See, I train my people to know their town, to know the people. I make sure they stop into the stores and banks, get into conversations on the sidewalk and in the grocery store. We have some cops in uniform, but most of us go around in plainclothes with our shields and sidearms prominently visible. We’re real community members, in it and of it. This way we know when something isn’t right. It could be a light left on in a store late Sunday night. A full mailbox out front of a house. A car left too long in the train station lot.
That’s how all this began.
Brilliant setup for a much larger story. The best laid plans, as they say. I want to know what’s next :-)
Last line….heard it said that way before. Some accent or ling?
Brilliant. I’m sure you are going to leave everyone hungry for more. I am anyway!
Total realism here. This could be a news report. Seems a positive approach, too!
Interesting. Seems to me there could be good and bad things about having these police officers just blend into everyone’s everyday lives. Seems to me some crimes might not be crimes. But then again, they are also catching crimes that might have stayed hidden. Great job.
Great story. I prefer to look at it as the officers being the good guys and doing there job. That they are being a part of, and taking interest in, the community that they serve and protect.
Nice Intro …
Intriguing start. Will you follow it up?
I was thinking this was going to go into a protection racket, but it could be something much larger. Great setup.
They have a great thing going for their ‘crime epidemic’ … but then, too much of anything can sometimes cause a problem. I suspect the end of the story might not be as happy as the beginning?