Summer of 2025 was my previous visit to 1st Precinct. In August, arriving for the night shift allowed for a couple hours of daylight once patrol started. Not so on the December evening I returned to the same squad. The cold drizzle had the precinct cat hiding in the dark.
As officers entered the Roll Call room, the first thing my previous host, Officer Purvis, asked was “have you been to metro yet?” because he knew I was wanting to experience all the regular possibilities while on patrol.
“No, and this is my thirteenth ride.”
He turned to Officer Adams, my assigned officer for the shift. “We have to get her to metro.”
And with those words, Officers Adams and Purvis were committed to showing me what I’d never seen during my prior 144 hours on patrol with MPD—transportation of an arrestee to the jail.
In under the first ninety minutes on shift, four calls were handled dealing with fighting dogs, stolen property, trespassing, and the ever-present false alarm on a building. Then the traffic stops began, which lasted most the night, with a few other calls and situations thrown in. Cars without proper lights or with expired tags were pulled over. Some drivers were found to be without insurance or other such infractions. Warnings were given about lights, and a few tickets were written for other things.
Several hours into the shift, Officer Adams was dispatched to a hit and run accident. It took an hour for the requested tow truck to arrive, which allowed plenty of time to gather the victim and witness statements, as well as write the majority of the report and chart the accident diagram. There was also a bit of pacing in the misty rain, standing by the hood of the Tahoe to take advantage of the heat radiating from the engine, answering questions from the victim, plus some short visits from fellow squad members as the officers waited.
When the scene was finally cleared, it was back to patrol. After midnight, there were also calls to file domestic violence incidents, a fight complaint, another false alarm on a building, and several patrols of a business’s parking lot that had been having issues with theft lately. But the final traffic stop before midnight brought something besides an expired tag.
Joined on scene by Officers Purvis and Evans, Adams approached the driver and got his license so he could check the driver’s record on his computer. The man had a warrant due to a parole violation. We were going to metro!
Throughout the arrest experience, the parolee was respectful. He talked about how he was changing his life around, was humble about being brought back to jail, but secure in knowing it wouldn’t change his current trajectory of a reformed life. On past rides, I have witnessed suspects fighting and yelling during arrests, but this man was polite to the end, going so far as to say “good evening, ma’am” to me when he was placed in the backseat. A rarity to be sure.
If you want to avoid being pulled over and the record check that goes with it, keep your car registration current (and place the updated sticker on the plate), make sure your lights (including the little one that illuminates your tag in the back) are functioning, and obey the rules of the road. Stay safe out there, y’all.
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