Defendants Melissa Collis & Teresa Manley

 

When Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Erin Hayne informed me during my interview with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office that I would have the opportunity to ride along with the Lexington Police Department, I knew this would be one of the highlights of my summer. I imagined myself chasing after bad guys down dark alleys, busting into crack houses with guns blazing, or racing down the streets of Lexington with the siren blaring. My family has a long history in law enforcement, and I looked forward to the chance to see what my grandfather and uncles had spent so many years doing.

On Friday afternoon, we arrived at the Police Headquarters to ride along with a shift that ran from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m. All of the interns were extremely excited, as well as a little nervous. We thought that the Friday night before a holiday weekend would result in lots of arrests and some interesting action. The officer I rode with, Officer Eden, informed me that the previous few nights had left them extremely busy and he expected us to have an active night.

First we sat through roll call, where the officers check in with the station and are informed of crime trends and suspects on the loose. After roll call ended, the Lieutenant in charge told us which officers we were assigned to and off we went.

The city of Lexington is divided into three sectors:  East, Central and West. Each sector is further divided into beats and each beat has three shifts. David, Lindsay, Michele, Ramsey, and I were assigned to East sector. Officer Eden was given the call sign of 321-C, which indicated that he was in the East Sector (3), on the Second Shift riding beat 1-C. We got into the cruiser and before the officer could even fully inform me of what to do in dangerous situations, we received a call for a domestic disturbance.

I learned some very interesting things that night about police work and was able to experience an average night protecting the streets of Lexington, however, as a whole, it was relatively quiet. One of the highlights of my night was getting the chance to race down Tates Creek Road with the lights and siren blaring on our way to a call for a burglary in progress. Too bad when we got there it was just a man who got locked out of his house and had to go in through the window. I also enjoyed running off a suspected prostitute and a client we found in the back of Veterans Park late at night.

My fellow interns also had some unique experiences. Rebecca Wichard said the most memorable part of her ride-along came at the end, "On our last stop, my officer and I pulled someone over for a possible DUI, and then found out that the car he was driving was reported stolen! Talk about exciting!" Michelle Hooper's favorite part was when she got to respond to a road rage altercation in Hamburg. Pete Maskow had a truly unique experience: "The most exciting point in the night came when I had a chance to pursue one of the suspects in a foot chase with the officer. Unfortunately, the suspect ran through several breezeways and was able to evade capture."

All-in-all, the ride-along was a great experience for all of the interns. We spent all weekend telling our friends about it and comparing stories with the other interns. I can confidently say that we all have a much greater appreciation for the dedication and work ethic of the Lexington Police Department. As you can see from some of the comment below, many of us learned a lot about both the ins-and-outs of police work, as well as what it takes to be a police officer.

 

Peter's Comments:  "Overall, I was very impressed with how the officers handled themselves throughout the evening. The officers were always respectful of everyone we came across, regardless of the reason for the encounter. They set an example of how to conduct oneself, and made me realize the extent to which officers constantly bear in mind the safety of the community first."

 

Lindsay's Comments:  "The police ride-along really opened my eyes to the crime in Lexington. What surprised me the most, was the lack of parental supervision of so many children - some as young as 5, and as late as midnight. We started the night with a domestic dispute call. The officer told me that domestic disputes were his scariest calls to respond to because with emotions running so high, anything can happen. Overall, I had a great time on the police ride-along and I have great respect for Lexington's police officers.

 

Joy's Comments:  "My favorite encounters of the night were stopping for disorderly conduct calls or domestic dispute calls. I found that everyone wants to tell their side of the story and just how different each person's version of the story is. I had such a great time, and it gave me an even greater appreciation for our police force."

 

Betsy's Comments:  "I was impressed with how much the officer knew about the area and the people in his beat. Immediately when we arrived in the neighborhood, we made a traffic stop where the officer issued the driver a citation for driving on a suspended license. We made a few more traffic stops, responded to two calls to break up fights, and ended the night by taking a drunk driver to jail. Overall, the ride-along was an exciting, hands-on learning experience, and I gained knowledge of the criminal justice system that I could not have learned anywhere else."

Rebecca's Comments:  "I was really looking forward to my ride-along with a police officer and had no idea that the night would turn out to be such a unique experience! It was really interesting to be directly involved watching traffic stops, responding to domestic calls, and trying to intercept drug deals in high crime areas. But the most memorable part of my ride-along was at the very end of the night. On our last stop, my officer and I pulled someone over for a possible DUI, and then found out that the car he was driving was reported stolen! Talk about exciting!"

 

Natasha's Comments:  "My ride-along experience was quite exciting! From the beginning of the day until the end there was never a dull moment. We spent our shift giving traffic tickets, discovering people who had outstanding warrants, and responding to complaints in the neighborhood. It was very interesting to see how the police department plays such an integral part in the criminal justice system."

Michelle's Comments:  "The ride-along was a very enjoyable experience. It was interesting to learn the signals and codes that were dispatched throughout the night. The most exciting part of the night was responding to a road rage altercation in Hamburg. I was impressed with the respect that Officer Delimpo gave to all the complainants even when their complaint was not incredibly serious. I would enjoy doing more ride-alongs in the future."

Ramsey's Comments:  "I felt like a child again on my police ride-a-long this past weekend. I was basically giddy as we drove through Lexington with the siren at full blast and the lights signaling other drivers to move out of our way! The officer dealt with several fights. In one instance, a pregnant 17-year-old pulled out another girl's hair. We also attempted to resolve a dispute where children were throwing rocks at one another. Throughout the night, it became increasingly more obvious that police officers spend a great deal of their time mediating. Their jobs would be much simpler if everyone could just get along! Nevertheless, these fights, a DUI, speeders, and other events made my night really exciting!"

David's Comments:  "It was extremely beneficial for me to see all the different aspects of the officers' daily activities. Not only did we go on calls that ended in arrests, but we handled a few public relations calls to help a distressed mother locate her missing daughter. Even at 26, it was exciting to drive at high speeds with the lights and sirens. I really enjoyed my ride along with Officer Norris and appreciated my brief look into the beginning of the criminal justice system."

Chantell's Comments:  "I was impressed by the level of compassion the officers showed to the people they dealt with. My officer treated everyone he met with respect and dignity. I really appreciated how the officers treated everyone, even illegal aliens or even a regular citizen fairly and equally."

Ally's Comments:  "The ride-along was an awesome experience because we got to see first-hand how police officers take care of the community. During the 10-hour shift, Officer Neuman and I pulled over several people with broken tail lights, settled a neighbor dispute and even arrested a man who we took to jail. I learned a lot from watching the officers communicate and would love to do it again!"