It is December 23rd – 0730 hours. I’ll be riding along with Officer Tony today at 0800 hours (that’s police talk for 8 a.m.) to get a glimpse of what a day in the life of a police officer in Cape May is like.
Meanwhile, I have about 12,000 presents piled up in the closet which have to be wrapped. I figure I can get at least 6,000 presents wrapped before I have to meet Officer Tony Genaro at the police sub-station in West Cape May.
I note the time, 7:45 a.m., oops, excuse me – 0745 hours – I drop the scissors and the Scotch tape, grab my coat and run out the door. As I’m pulling into the parking lot of the West Cape May municipal building, I realize that I’ve forgotten to eat breakfast. This could be one long day. Oh, I think, no problem, there’ll be donuts at the sub-station and numerous stops for more donuts. Whew! I was worried there for a minute.
I’m very impressed. By some magic sense, Officer Tony knows I’m at the door and comes out to open it for me. It is locked so unauthorized personnel (like me) can’t get in.
“How did you know I was out here?”
“I heard the door.”
Oh.
Officer Tony is very young looking and very bald – by intention, he shaves his head – and very fit. Fit is not good. Fit means no donuts. Indeed, I walk into the office and he gives me a desk to sit at – it is a pretty big room, three desks – no donuts. No coffee. I’m not worried, I’m sure we’ll be stopping at a WaWa or a bakery soon.
I, myself, do not take the pressure of the holidays well. I’m feeling a little disorganized this morning and I’m still thinking about those presents and just how I’m going to wrap a complete drum set and fit it under the tree. On the other hand, Officer Tony is well organized and while he’s going over our schedule – he by the way has been at work since 6 a.m. not 8 a.m. – that’s 0600 hours to us police personnel – I try to take his picture and realize I’ve left the battery for the camera at the office. I race out to the car and drive over to the mall, longingly passing up the Wawa, run up to the office and back to the police sub-station in a flash – not too flashy though, getting a ticket would be a bit embarrassing. Whew. Oh no. I forgot a pen to write with. Now what? I can’t leave again. There are about 50 pens in front of me. Shall I? I must. I steal a pen from the desk. I immediately feel the hot lights bearing down on me. I just know Officer Tony saw me swipe the pen. Worse, what if it’s a marked pen? I can’t take it any longer. I confess.
Officer Tony is very understanding about the pen and says it’s ok. And by the way, he says, did you see the surveillance camera up there? No but am I glad I confessed when I did. See? Crime does not pay. Just then a call comes in.
“We better go see about this,” he says.
Whoo Hoo. Action.
Now, I could have ridden along with Officer Tony at night. Because of the unexpected death of a fellow officer, Sgt. William Alvarez, a 20-year veteran of the force who died in November, Officer Tony is working both his own shift and Sgt. Alvarez’s – so he works from 6 a.m. to midnight. But I opted for the day shift because please, I need my beauty sleep. Besides, what if there’s actually a crime – that would be very annoying – I might have to shoot my way out – shoot as in camera by the way. Anyhow – daytime is good for those reasons and another one: this way I get to glimpse life on patrol and Officer Tony’s regular work as Cape May’s Juvenile Officer and instructor of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education program).
Hey, do you think on the way to the possible cardiac arrest in progress, Officer Tony would consider stopping for coffee and donuts? I’m sure Cape May Bakery is open.
I LOVE this car. It has all kinds of gadgets. I wonder what would happen if I touched this button or this one, or this one. Where’s the flashy light thing? When we arrive at Ohio Street, Officer Joe Walker is already on the scene. An ambulance is there and the patient is being hoisted into the back of it. I can see him from the car and he looks alert and awake. I stay in the car. First of all, it’s too cold to be standing outside. Secondly, who needs me to be snapping pictures while you’re being wheeled away. Thirdly, I am alone at last. I wonder if there are any uneaten donuts in the glove compartment. Before I have a chance to “explore,” Officer Tony is back in the car. This particular patient has a history of cardiac problems and, although they are taking him to the hospital, it looks as though everything will be A-O.K.
Officer Tony explains that two patrol cars always try to come to a scene. A, because the more officers the better. B, because in the case of a rescue, one officer can administer CPR or whatever is needed while the other handles the crowd or assists the family until the EMTs arrive. Or in the case of a crime, four eyes are better than two.
Before we drive off, there is another call. One of the other officers has pulled someone over for a moving violation and needs to check on something. Meanwhile, a dispatch call comes in. It seems sometime during the night someone has thrown a brick through a construction trailer window on New York. We’re off. No sirens though. Again, Officer Walker has beat us to the call and is already talking to the construction supervisor. Now, do you think I should get out of the car and see what’s up or look in that glove compartment? Give it up, I say to myself ‘cause I just know that there are no donuts around and Officer Walker is even thinner than Officer Tony. He’s no help. As I get out of the car, I look in the back seat where –you know – prisoners go. Yo! There’s absolutely no leg room back there at all. How constricting. And then you have that wall-like thing going across the back separating the passenger side, I mean the prisoner side – from the officer’s side. How claustrophobic. I’m going to have to suggest ways to improve that. If I were back there, I’d be positively freaked out.
Here’s the skinny on the brick hurler. Someone did hurl a brick through the window. Nothing seems to be missing but (the plot thickens) at the construction site one lot over, run by someone else, an aluminum breaker came up missing a few days earlier. When we get back in the car, Officer Tony explains that an aluminum breaker is gigantic in size – certainly not something you slip in your pocket – it is used to crush aluminum siding. It seems, however, the construction supervisor there wants to hold off on formally reporting the incident in case someone, by chance, “borrowed” it.
Well, o.k. that’s a little strange. We have to return to the Cape May Police Station to pick up a camera to take pictures of the hurling event. It is during this drive that I realize my search for donuts is greatly jeopardized. Officer Tony reveals that at one time he and his wife Maura owned the Cape May Fitness Gym on Park Blvd. He further reveals that he and wife are health nuts. Oy!
Officer Tony pops into the Police Station and pops back out. We return to the scene of the crime, take some pictures and head back to the station. Officer Tony, you know, is fairly new to Cape May. After a stint in the army he came to Cape May to spend some time with his folks who had just bought a Bed and Breakfast in town – the Jeremiah Hand House on Washington Street. The B&B has subsequently sold but Officer Tony decided he liked the town and tried for six years to get on the force. In the meantime, he met and married his wife and together they opened the gym. Finally in 2001, he joined the force full time.
Now here’s a funny thing, when we pull into the station this time, Officer Tony pulls the car into this corral thing, as though he were arresting me. Not that that made me nervous or anything but I did jump when he shows me how he pulls the gate closed behind the car before he lets the prisoner out. Then, the prisoner is led through a security door to the holding cell. Before going to the holding cell, the prisoner can wash his eyes out if pepper spray has been used. Then, there’s the cell. Can I just say YUK! Yuk to the extreme! I mean, I’m looking at this tiny space and staring right at the toilet. Eeyew. There’s a cot and a toilet. That’s it. And it’s not at all attractive. Someone give me some bleach so I can scrub that nasty floor.
The cell door is from a military base (Navy, I think). The key for the extremely heavy door is about three inches long and when he slams the door shut – there is a finality to the slamming of the door. Hence, the term “the slammer,” I guess.
Officer Tony then takes me into the office where they book you, as in “Book ‘em Danno.” Now I like this room. There are all kinds of little gizmos here. Two Breathalizer Test thingys. A bar that they can handcuff you to if they get a call and have to run out of the office or if you prove to be as Officer Tony describes it, “uncooperative.” A finger print kit. And – this is best of all – a camera, a background screen and a thing with a sign that goes in front on your mug (hence the term mug shot) that says: Police Department City of Cape May and your prisoner number. I want my picture taken. It’s 1930 and where’s Humphrey Bogart when you need him? Bogey would never leave a girl behind bars. Jailbreak!!!
Oh, we have to leave. We trudge upstairs where Officer Tony introduces me to Kyle Grossman – the dispatcher. Kyle looks like an airplane pilot. He sits in front of at least four screens, plus the video cam of various points in the police station. He gets messages from everybody – the FBI, other police departments. I can’t tell you anymore about this room because it’s Top Secret and only those of us in the know – can know. So there.
Our next stop is behind the dispatcher’s office where Claire and Cathy man the desks spending their time doing tons of paper work. We don’t linger too long in the office because it is time to get back out on the streets.
Before we exit the building, Officer Tony and I pop into the auditorium where City Council meets. On the stage is a Christmas tree with toys surrounding it. When Sgt Alvarez died, he was in the middle of the Toys for Tots Campaign which he headed up every season, so Officer Tony took up the slack. He already distributed the bulk of the presents on Sunday but more are flowing in. It would appear as though Officer Tony has a full plate and I don’t mean with donuts.
Back in the patrol car we cruise the streets of Cape May, West Cape May and Cape May Point – then Officer Tony suggests we pay a visit to the schools which is his regular job. Our first stop is the West Cape May Elementary School. This part of the day, I have to tell you, I found to be very touching. As soon as we walk in one of the students, Zach Burgin, who happens to be in the hallway greets Officer Tony with a big smile. I follow them to Ms. Horvath’s 5th and 6th grade-combined class. At WCM Elementary D.A.R.E. is taught to 5th graders. Over at Cape May Elementary, Mr. Doto’s 6th grade is taught. All the kids at both schools are totally excited to him.
They obviously have missed Officer Tony who, because of Sgt. Alvarez’s death, has not been able to come to the schools for the last three weeks. But they have been peppering the D.A.R.E. questions box with many pertinent questions regarding resisting drugs like: “Why is your head shiny? What is your favorite movie? What is your favorite song, Do your boys want to be policemen when they grow up? (Young Tony, by the way is 6-years-old and Troy is 18-months). In short, these students want to know everything there is to know about Officer Tony.
Because it is about an hour or two away from Christmas dismissal, the students both WCM Elementary and at Cape May Elementary are very excited. But they do want to hear at least one of Officer Tony’s funny stories. He tells both classes a story they’ve heard before but like to hear over and over – about the D.A.R.E. Bear and how he met his demise. No. I’m not telling the story – it’s his story and you’ll just have to ask him about it. He promises the kids he’ll visit more frequently once the New Year begins and we are back in the patrol car heading toward the West Cape May sub-station.
Another call comes in alerting Officer Tony that a P.I. is in town – that’s private investigator to you civilians. He tells me that the P.I.s often alert the local police that they are working in town. Oh so is that so you don’t arrest them if you find them hiding the bushes. No, he explains, that’s so if they get bopped in the nose by a disgruntled spouse, we’ll know why. My word!
It is approaching 1200 hours as Officer Tony pulls into the Park Boulevard shops and asks me if I’d like something to eat or drink. Ahhhhh. DONUTS!! Whoo Hoo. Before I can answer, though he’s pulling up along side the Cape May Fitness Gym and explaining that he’s going to stop and get a protein shake. Would I like one or perhaps a protein bar? Geez Louise. This guy’s a rock. No thank you, I say.
Well, when the very trim and very fit Officer Tony gets back in the patrol car, I say I better be on my way soon. Just as we’re pulling into the sub-station though, another call comes in.
“Do you mind if we take this?”
Are you kidding, I’m thinking, anything to take my mind off food.
Another officer has pulled a car over on Seashore Rd. We slip behind the first police car and after a short chat with the patrolman, Officer Tony walk up to the car. That’s weird, I think. After another short chat with the offending driver, he returns.
It turns out, Officer Tony has pulled the same car over just a few days before for the same problem. The computer shows the car with an expired registration but the driver has the correct registration card with him. Officer Tony thinks something has gone wrong at the Department of Motor Vehicles but wonders why the driver hasn’t corrected it yet. Really, who wants to be pulled over all the time? This time the driver will probably get a ticket so… I just bet he’ll fix the problem now.
“The same things that happen in any city happen in Cape May, just less of it,” he says. “I know this. I wouldn’t want to be a policeman in any other city but this one.”
After I thank Officer Tony and bid him a fond farewell – and yes I returned the pen – I drive out of the sub-station and start heading over to the WaWa for the illusive donut – but then, I think it really is lunch time, maybe I’ll get a salad instead.
