The other night, I sat down to blog, and I just couldn't decide what exactly I wanted to blog about...so instead I made a list of topics i wanted to talk and write about, and again tonight so much to share, yet where do i start????
A few things are right there, its on the tip of my tongue or on the tips of my fingers or both! Tonight, was rather interesting in my Criminal Law Class... here we have a retired Correctional Officer/ Parole Officer as our instructor and then we have several people in the class that have been on the other side. Me on the other hand, I grew up in the law enforcement field... my daddy being a Sheriff in San Joaquin County. So, i do have pretty strong feelings in this area... but more than anything I have so many memories and stories that make me smile..... i think i will share a few of those stories.... just want you to know, I'm not completely proud of all of them:( and i also made sure my daddy wouldn't care if i told on him a time or two.. his response was " sure go ahead, what r they gonna do??? fire me??" So, here i go.....
LIFE AS A SHERIFF'S DAUGHTER......
One of the things i'm not proud of.... i used to love when my daddy worked Swing Shift.... that meant when i got home from school, he had already left for work, and by the time he got off work, i was sound asleep.... our paths didnt cross much... at that time, i was just a teenager that thought i could get away with this and that. What I probably didn't realize was my mother and him communicated more than i knew! I would never wish for that again.... the more our paths cross, the better it is!
Let's see..... patrol.... the only police car I've ever been in...my dad's police car... now that, I'm totally proud of! I can clearly remember him stopping by home with his partner to have dinner.... sharing their stories, and getting to know their families, families just like ours. There was Pete Barnett, Dave Levesey, Lyle Cooper, Brett something, name after name.... good people. There was this one particular night...him and his partner had someone in the backseat that they had arrested... the guy decided to spit thru the cage right on my dad's bald spot... not a good idea! Imagine this..... going at a pretty good speed, darn-it, there was a dog in the road... brakes had to be slammed on, and a face plant on the metal screen.... OOPS! Don't mess with my daddy!
I was a good girl... i didnt have much of a choice...There was no orchard parties for me....My daddy knew all the party spots, end of Comcnex, out at the river, there was no way i would risk getting caught, so in all honesty, my first orchard party was when i took my surburban not once or twice, but many times... filled with my kids and their friends, of coarse they made me turn my headlights off, not to draw any attention to us. It's probably ok to to tell on some of my friends, or maybe i wont throw them under the bus! My dad did break up many parties, sent kids home, and made them pour all the cases and cases of beer out, then go around and pick up every empty beer can there was laying around. Then of coarse, he would go to the most desalated areas, and find kids making out in their cars, sometimes with clothes on, sometimes with clothes off.... he never would give up much info!! i so respect him for that!
Oh then of coarse, late one night, he's actually off duty....he hears some commotion going on outside in our quiet little court... could it of been anymore awkward????? Someone in a jeep had just done a fast lawn job on the Pinto's front yard.... before the jeep could completely get away.... my dad the police officer he is, saw who tried to get away, he saw all he needed to see... called her (yes... one of my BFF's, Ann Walters/Souza) parents... Gerald and Marsha Walter's... Even though i begged him not too call her parents and just let it go..... NOPE! funny thing is, we get to laugh about it today!!
Then there was his many years at the jail.... again, the only jail i had even been in (until recently). The jail was the scariest for me... one nite i was there with him, and it was like 2 am, and we made the rounds to be sure all were accounted for..... i can remember my dad shining his mag lite into their cube area and yelling "A-reba, A-reba", and the immates all jumping out of bed (at least the hispanic speaking inmates) The jail wasnt necessarly his favorite... blood pressure was always high, stress levels and heart pounding... so he got his way and left the jail, leaving younger more experienced deputies for the jail job!
Courts were always fun.... when my daddy was a baliff....he would always find interesting cases that were going on, and take me and let me sit in on this Judge or that Judges' cases..
One time, as he and another deputy got into the elevator at the courthouse, they got into a very short mace fight right there in the elevator, As the doors opened, OOPS... the boss, both were transfered right back out to the jail!
His last ten years with the Department, he was in Civil Division. Lots of friends there.... in fact, almost like family... potlucks, Christmas parties, playing Santa Claus and of coarse alittle bit of work. Eviction notices, civil papers served, leans on business, and whatever eles they had to do.
Retirement was right around the corner. 51 years old, and almost 30 years with the department....the time was right, all the cards fell into place, and retirement started. They chose to make their new home in Missouri... wow what a beautiful place.
I'm trying to fill in some blanks... i know there's so much more.... there was the time he was transporting a prisoner in un undercover car ( and my mom was with him) somewhere close to the grapevine, a CHP pulled him over and gave him a speeding ticket...Imagine that!!! i guess the CHP had a quota he had to fulfill that day!
Being the daughter of a police officer......kept alot of people away! Not that it was a good thing, especially knowing how much everyone feared my dad.... but i wouldnt change a thing... well maybe a thing or two! broke his heart just once i think, and again he did his very best to teach me a lesson or see things how he did... it worked, and I made him that promise and never touched it again!
If i do say so myself.... my dad was and is the best daddy there ever was... the best police officer you could train, the best husband, brother, friend, confident imaginable, and i have no regrets, and I'm proud to say "I am the daughter of a Police Officer. He has never stopped giving his 110%.. he is kind, understanding, now more open-minded, considerate, respectful, trust-worthy, a God-loving man,and a friend to many. I have learned from the best... and as i think of more incidents, learning experiences, i will definelty share them with you!"
I love you dad, and i"m honored to be taking this class and learning more and more about your line of work, and all the commitments you held true to and all the obstacles you had to go through and yes all the (i'll be nice) bolegna you dealt with, yet held your head high!
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