Category: Mobile Police Department
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Fragments Observed: Riding with the Mobile Police Department, Part 17
During each ride with the Mobile Police Department, I continue to see new situations, neighborhoods, and examples of humanity—at its worst and best. This on-going series is meant to share glimpses into what patrol officers experience during their twelve-hour shifts. No day is exactly like another. On a Saturday evening during one of the hottest…
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Fragments Observed: Riding with the Mobile Police Department, Part 16
The morning of the Mobile Bay area’s first tropical storm of the season was the day I reported to 4th Precinct for my July ride with MPD. During roll call, the good-natured jokes shared made it obvious there was a feeling of family amid the squad. The lieutenant remarked that the day would be a…
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Fragments Observed: Riding with the Mobile Police Department, Part 15
The morning roll call I attended at the end of June 2026 revealed the patrol squad I was riding with was short about half their officers due to training schedules and other events. There were several familiar faces and Officer Purvis, who is mentioned in the articles covering my 2025 rides in 1st Precinct (see…
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Fragments Observed: Riding with the Mobile Police Department, Part 14
On a weekday morning in late May, I arrived at Central Precinct for roll call. I had ridden twice with the downtown precinct the previous calendar year, but it had been six months since my last ride with the squad. After greetings from the familiar Mobile Police Department officers and sergeant, there was a short…
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Fragments Observed: Riding with the Mobile Police Department, Part 13
I arrived at the historic Mobile City Hospital building on St. Anthony Street on an April morning and reported to Sergeant George in the Financial Crimes Unit. It was my first “ride along” shadowing a specialized squad for a shift as opposed to riding with one of the precinct officers on patrol. Besides the sergeant,…