THE MAJOR'S WIFE...

Even in Law Enforcement there can be internal issues, there can be legal problems, and you really never know who or what you are going to run into when going to these calls for service. I got a story to tell, but before we get into it I want you to all to understand that Law Enforcement, the Military, or any other “real” first responder type job has a reputation for not brewing successful healthy relationships. Divorce runs wild, Domestic Violence is a thing, and often times it is as a result infidelity. Just keep that in mind…

So normal day, I am in my beat driving around doing traffic stops, answering calls for service, etc., I self-dispatched onto a call concerning an Unknown Situation. All 911 Dispatch could tell me was that someone called because there was a vehicle outside shaking back and forth like it was the 80s if you know what I am saying. The caller wanted to remain anonymous, and wanted the vehicle checked on to make sure everything was alright.

The first thing that came to mind was…” Mind y’all business…let’em get there freak on,” but nevertheless I had to respond. I drove slow on this one because I already knew that I was about to ruin someone’s fun. Sure enough I arrived on the scene, the vehicle was shaking like it was the 80s and I can clearly hear see what is going on inside. I laugh, switch on my body cam, get out my patrol vehicle, and then went to knock on the rear driver side door of the vehicle.

The vehicle was an older style Expedition, the windows were fogged, the sounds had stopped, the shaking had stopped and all that remained was the sound of two people scrambling inside to get enough clothing on to address the uniformed LEO outside the vehicle.

This is where things go all the way to the left, at this point I figured it was going to be an indecent Exposure summons for each of them and that would be it. WRONG…as I was writing out their Summons, I get a call from the Major asking what was going on in front of HIS house, why was I speaking to his WIFE…and is it something that he needed to respond for. I literally stumbled over my words when I heard that…but I knew that I needed to be careful about what I said next, so I told the Major I’d call him back. I finished writing the summons, I explained them, and then presented each person with a copy in accordance with the service. Before the female subject returned to the vehicle, I faked looking back at the summons, and then asked if she had any relations to the Major based off her last name. At this point, the lady said to me “It is none of your business who I am or am not related to”….that told me everything I needed to know. I said my goodbyes and departed.

I couldn’t bring myself to tell the Major over the phone that I had caught his Wife having an affair, and I didn’t want to be the person that broke it to him. Therefore, I called my sergeant and told him what had occurred and advised him that the Major needed to be notified. My Sergeant eventually passed it to the Lieutenant, and some kind of way the own agency knew about it.

Fast forward about a year…I got a civil subpoena to appear in court in reference to providing testimony that would prove the Wife had been unfaithful. Again, you never know who or what you are going to be dealing with in Law Enforcement….

The Major’s Wife…

EVERY LEO HAS THAT ONE TYPE OF CRIME...

Every Law Enforcement Official whether they are a Deputy Sheriff, Police Officer, Peace Officer, etc. all have that one type of crime that they do not like. What I mean is, this crime or act in particular is one that will be investigated to the fullest and someone is going to jail…pretty much automatically.

For me, it is STEALING! I can’t stand thieves...when I get a call for service or some information pertaining to something involving thievery, I go the extra length. I work all my cases, but when it comes to Stealing, it is my thing….my bread & Butter…my go to!

I dislike thievery because in my opinion there isn’t anything you can’t ask for, you can’t work for, or you can’t save for. The act of stealing from someone that worked for it or is in control of it, to me is lazy. It is an easy way out, and completely undermines society.

That being said, I recently worked a case where it was reported that an employee was stealing from a company, the employee had been stealing from the company for approximately 5 years. The business wasn’t in danger or anything but had reached out to me because the employee had recently quit their job and they wanted the person held accountable for the money they stole.

So, I investigated the incident, got a Search Warrant for financial records for the employee, and basically caught the employee red-handed based off their bank records. The employee stole 50k over the 5 years…so a lot, then washed the money via several credit cards.

The term “Washing” basically means the money was made clean via an untraceable means or act that the person or entity utilizes more than once (i.e., paying off credit cards, real estate, etc.).

I secured multiple Warrant(s) for the arrest of the employee, specifically I ended up getting x99 Warrant(s) for Money Laundering, x3 Warrant(s) for Embezzlement, and a few other charges.

I knew where the employee lives, but I decided not to take them into custody at their residence. I wanted to prove a point, so I decided that I’d arrest the employee at their new job and make sure they knew what the charges were for. I responded, made contact with the employee in the lobby, had them relocate outside into the lobby, there they were placed in hand restraints, and arrested in reference to the Warrant(s). When the job asked what was going on, I made sure to let them know their newly hired employee was being arrested in reference to Embezzlement/Money Laundering.

I am not a fan of thievery, I do not play when it comes to crimes involving thievery, and will catch all or majority of those that come into my purview regarding thievery. That is what it is going to be, what it is ! Plain & Simple... 

Every LEO Has That One Type of Crime....

LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS...

I had a discussion with my coworker concerning some issues that had been affecting him/her at work. Unfortunately, he/she was going through a rough time outside of the uniform and needed a little help. I am going to tell you all what was going on, but I want to stress the importance of living within your means. If you don’t have it…then go get it or save for it…NEVER borrow it because you’ll never get back from that. If you are trying to keep up with the Jones or the Smiths…you need to adjust your mindset because it won't last. Plain and Simple. 

That being said, a few months ago my coworker brought a vehicle that cost about $92k. I saw it in the parking lot, went to roll call, and immediately asked who vehicle it was. My coworker speaks up and tells me basically that he had used his pandemic money as a down payment on the vehicle. I acknowledged how nice the vehicle was, and then let roll call commence accordingly. Throughout the day between calls for service I’d meet up with my coworker and speak to him/her about the vehicle. Specifically, the cost, the features it came with, the color, etc. As we are speaking, it was revealed that the monthly payment for this car was approximately $1.1k, and that their significant other didn’t know about the purchase. Already! You can see something isn’t right about this…however, it wasn’t really my place to speak on the matter, so I kept it to the car and left it alone.

Fast forward to 2021….

As I was driving to the station for roll call, I got an email requesting a monetary donation for this coworker in reference to an “unexpected” emergency that had placed the family in need of financial assistance. I am the type to give to the needy; I am my brothers/sisters keeper, hence if needed I will help…however this isn’t one of those times. I read the email and immediately got upset because by this time I was parked at the station and could see that my coworker was still driving the $92k vehicle. I didn’t reply to the email, I didn’t say, and/or do anything to express my opinion at that time. Eventually, my coworker called me via phone and doubled down on the request…asking me whether or not I got the email. In response, I told him/her that I’d received it and would not be contributing. When asked why, I explained that I wasn’t going to contribute because if the situation was THAT bad, he/she wouldn’t be driving a $92k vehicle daily. In addition to that, I recommended that he/she re-evaluate any financial obligations and consider potentially downsizing to cover any needs with the proceeds from that.

Fast forward to 2022….

I haven’t seen that vehicle for several months now, no further financial assistance was requested, and I saw my coworker at an overtime event...

Live within your means...if you don't have it, go get it or save for it...NEVER borrow it because you'll never come back from that...

NO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) LEAVE FOR LEOS...

As I fully get back into the flow of things, I wanted to provide you all with an insider view of the effects of COVID-19 on Law enforcement agencies all over the country. For those that aren’t aware, a deadly sickness has spread all over the world causing a global pandemic, it has been designated as COVID-19 and it has shaken up infrastructure all over the planet. No one is immune yet, but several vaccines have been approved and has been in distribution throughout the world for some time now. The legality and morality associated with this is a topic for another day, but today I wanted to explore what exactly has happened throughout Law Enforcement as a result of said Pandemic. Specifically, I wanted to explore what happens when a Law enforcement official gets COVID or shows signs of being sick.

First and foremost, Law enforcement officials are HUMAN and are susceptible to the same things as everyone else. However, we haven’t/aren't being treated fairly in my opinion because every other “essential” profession has been taken care of, for the most part, throughout the pandemic.

To be fair, the federal government in the USA did implement, offer, and fund a sort of “pandemic leave” for workers that weren’t able to telework from home if they were to get the virus (i.e., Law enforcement Officials). However, it was only a one time use per person, and has since disappeared completely.

So now what…what happens when Law enforcement officials get COVID?

Basically, they are FORCED to utilize their own sick time and are again FORCED to stay out of work until they are cleared medically to return to work. If you don’t understand why this is devastating, just know that sick time is earned as a reward or as a perk of sort for working a certain amount of time with an employer.

The issue is that LEOs are more susceptible because we deal with the public ALL the time, hence we are more likely to get the virus. It is completely unfair to have to use the sick time earned for a sickness that was obtained while carrying out the duties associated with Law Enforcement. At face value it comes off as a no-brainer to have to use the sick time, however it can be devastating because not all LEOs have enough sick time, and will not be paid after said time runs out. Virus or not, we aren't being compensated appropriately. 

There is an argument to be had here, however I am going to stop it here before this gets too long and gets out of hand. The point is that more needs to be done to protect the health and security associated with LEOs throughout the Pandemic.   

-No Coronavirus (COVID-19) Leave For LEOs...

LIFE HAVING A BADGE, 2022!

It has been a while! BUT I AM BACK, and I have plenty of news ranging from new stories, new laws, COVID updates, etc., However, before breaking ground I just wanted to say thank you for all the comments and support on Life Having a Badge despite my lack of posting. I did receive notification every time a new comment came through and I really appreciate it. Also, being that we started this in 2019 and are now in 2022 know that some of the issues we discuss may be in past, may be present, or may potentially be upcoming. 

Nevertheless, this is a place of comfort, expression, and exploration. That being said, understand that what is stated on Life Having a Badge, stays on Life Having a Badge. Thus, anything published or discussed here at Life Having a Badge is purely educational. Nothing here is legal advice, or in any form sponsored by any state, federal, or local municipality.

Moving on, I will be posting to Life Having a Badge every week on Tuesday & Friday moving forward and am currently working on a podcast style element that would be integrated into Life Having a Badge. It is a work in progress, hence more information will follow.  

Life Having a Badge, 2022!!!