"DOPes"

So, how did you spend your Super Bowl Sunday? I spent it in plainclothes patrolling the city’s “Gun Violence Hot Zones,” as part of the Police Commissioner’s “Detectives on Patrol” (or DOPes). And we certainly felt like dopes driving an unmarked car through a district we barely knew.

I didn’t mind the change of pace – although I specifically got promoted to get out of patrol – but a few questions about this program jumped into my mind. To wit:

• How effective can two detectives be patrolling an area they never worked before? My partner was driving, while I was relegated to Dora the Explorer status, constantly checking “The Map.”
• Who will think that two white guys driving a Ford Taurus through the ‘hood are not cops? I keep thinking about the scene in “Running Scared” where two utes spray-paint “Unmarked Police Car” across Billy Crystal’s ride.
• Did anyone spit in my food?

There were a few high points that evening. For instance, we got to listen to most of the Super Bowl – a luxury we wouldn’t have if we were in the division. I’m pretty sure the pizza parlor chef didn’t spit in our slices. And we did manage to find our way to a decent job – an aggravated assault where the officers recovered two shotguns. Another five minutes, and we would have had a homicide on our hands.

So, after all of my bitching, I guess the program worked after all.

(FYI – The next post will be #500 for SYLG, and I’m seeking suggestions for a topic. Let me know in the comments section, and I’ll choose the best idea for Wednesday’s momentous occasion.)