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Lucas
Student
Solon, Ohio
1
Question
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What is the most peculiar problem you have faced while working in law enforcement?
I’m a senior in high school right now and I would love to get into law enforcement after I graduate.
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Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1784
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Lucas,
Law enforcement will give you all kinds of wild and peculiar calls to handle, leaving you with lots of stories to tell, well into your retirement years. They range from the simple to the totally absurd.
For example, I once pulled over a car being driven by a lady. Before I walked up to the car, she was hurriedly fixing her make-up. When I got to the window the first thing she said was, "Darn, it's a lady cop."
There was the WW-2 veteran who fell on the escalator, seriously injuring his arm, causing it to bleed profusely. Bystanders were applying first aid. I looked around and found a chair for him to sit on. When I offered him the chair he said in a fiesty Veteran voice, "lady, ain't nothing wrong with my feet. It's my arm!"
Then there are all the excuses people give for violating traffic laws. I think my favorite was the guy who didn't want to stop at a red light because he had brand new (expensive) tires, and didn't want to wear them down.
My favorite arrest was a woman who was trying to reclaim custody of her son. She had been awarded custody in the divorce, but, by agreement, he had been living with his Dad for several years. Now she suddenly wanted to uproot his life. After talking with the boy, a teenager, I learned that when he had lived with Mom, she was frequently moving and causing him to change schools. I then went back and talked to Mom. She got mad at something I said (a law enforcement skill!) and took a swing at me. That allowed me to arrest her and let the boy go with his Dad. Otherwise, I would have had to let him go with her.
Then there was the guy who flew in after leaving his truck parked several days in the airport parking lot. A swarm of bees had taken up residence on the tailgate of the truck. I called the fire dept and they didn't want to disturb them, instructing him to go ahead and drive it and maybe they would leave. That didn't work, but, now the problem was no longer located in our jurisdiction. (another law enforcement "skill.")
I can't really think of anything peculiar, but, hope these at least made you chuckle!
I hope you continue to pursue your interest in criminal justice - best of luck to you!
Kim
Law enforcement will give you all kinds of wild and peculiar calls to handle, leaving you with lots of stories to tell, well into your retirement years. They range from the simple to the totally absurd.
For example, I once pulled over a car being driven by a lady. Before I walked up to the car, she was hurriedly fixing her make-up. When I got to the window the first thing she said was, "Darn, it's a lady cop."
There was the WW-2 veteran who fell on the escalator, seriously injuring his arm, causing it to bleed profusely. Bystanders were applying first aid. I looked around and found a chair for him to sit on. When I offered him the chair he said in a fiesty Veteran voice, "lady, ain't nothing wrong with my feet. It's my arm!"
Then there are all the excuses people give for violating traffic laws. I think my favorite was the guy who didn't want to stop at a red light because he had brand new (expensive) tires, and didn't want to wear them down.
My favorite arrest was a woman who was trying to reclaim custody of her son. She had been awarded custody in the divorce, but, by agreement, he had been living with his Dad for several years. Now she suddenly wanted to uproot his life. After talking with the boy, a teenager, I learned that when he had lived with Mom, she was frequently moving and causing him to change schools. I then went back and talked to Mom. She got mad at something I said (a law enforcement skill!) and took a swing at me. That allowed me to arrest her and let the boy go with his Dad. Otherwise, I would have had to let him go with her.
Then there was the guy who flew in after leaving his truck parked several days in the airport parking lot. A swarm of bees had taken up residence on the tailgate of the truck. I called the fire dept and they didn't want to disturb them, instructing him to go ahead and drive it and maybe they would leave. That didn't work, but, now the problem was no longer located in our jurisdiction. (another law enforcement "skill.")
I can't really think of anything peculiar, but, hope these at least made you chuckle!
I hope you continue to pursue your interest in criminal justice - best of luck to you!
Kim