I reported to 3rd Precinct on an overcast Thursday in late February for my monthly ride. As it was only my second time in the northeast Mobile precinct and my first time for a nightshift there, I figured I would see some new-to-me situations. That proved to be true.
My host officer for the patrol shift was Officer Wahid, who I had ridden with in a different precinct while I was in the Mobile Citizens Police Academy and he was a rookie. Policing isn’t a stagnant job. I have observed the same officers at work on different shifts several times. Whether a handful of months or more than a year has elapsed, all the officers have shown more confidence in their choices, an increase in speed when writing reports, and a more natural posture in uniform, whether behind the wheel or helping someone. The officers are evolving with each interaction.
The first call Officer Wahid was dispatched to was in reference to a physical attack on someone by an extended family member. The subject had fled the scene, but he interviewed the victim in the front yard. Twilight descended as he jotted pertinent information in his pocket-sized notebook while a two-officer backing unit stood nearby.
Officers have different methods of completing their reports. Some will move from the scene to a nearby parking area to compile the required forms while it’s fresh in their minds. That might include not clearing themselves from the call until the report is done, other times they radio dispatch that they are clear but rather than begin to patrol, they will stay parked until the report is complete or they are dispatched to a new call. If they move to another event before their previous report is finished, they will go back to it (and any subsequent paperwork) when there is a lull in activity.
Other than that first call, the shift was quiet for events dispatched directly to Officer Wahid. But he wasn’t idle. Numerous traffic stops and their aftermaths kept him busy the whole night, with backing provided by several different units. Speeders and vehicles with car window tint beyond the legal limit were the focus of the traffic stops amid periods of light rain. Most of the drivers were given verbal warnings and went peacefully on their way.
But a few stops turned up more infractions than the visible issues, leading to some people being temporarily detained, issuing two warrants, and one arrest during the course of the shift. A trip to a magistrate’s office to get warrants signed and a visit to the Property desk at MPD Headquarters to turn in marijuana in the early morning hours were firsts for me during the active shift.
Despite being only a few days after Mardi Gras (which means the officers had been working several weeks of mandatory overtime), the officers on the squad labored through the night being proactive, answering calls, and backing each other. Thank you, Officer Wahid and 3rd Precinct, for hosting me for another patrol.
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