Lights, Camera...Action!

Today was a successful day of Home Visits with Casey. Successful because everyone went home and I get the privilege of writing a couple more warrants for people who do not live where they said the did.

Normally Casey and I have Home Visits down to a Science, offender pictures printed, maps printed, and routes mapped out see the most offenders in a single day.

However, the past three weeks have been so hectic for me that all of the above has been placed at the wayside. So, when I got to the office this morning I scrambled to get everything ready and the clock was ticking. In our office on a day where you have a car signed out and your still in the office, the longer your in the office the odds increase every second that you will be voluntold to do something that you had not planned.

Today, we missed the bullet and managed to start doing Home Visits only two hours late (as opposed to two hours before quiting time).

With out the proper planning we had to go on head knowledge of where our offenders were, where we were, and where we were going. Half the time I would remember that I had an offender where we were an hour before and half the county behind us.

The Home Visits that we did do on my caseload were new cases. I had never seen these people before or where they live.

The first of these that we arrive to an almost passable house. Three cars in the drive way, cut lawn, no clutter (always a plus), and two visible entry/exit points. I choose the front door even though it is the obviously the less used entrance, just because that is where most "visitors" would knock on the door.

While Casey watches the other entrance/exit, I conduct the standard "Police, let me in" knock. The knock that the neighbors two houses down hear. No answer. Only a living alarm system (small yapping dog). As I turn around to survey the landscape I happen to see a small black oddity in the upper left corner of the porch. When I look at it, I recognize it as a Video Surveillance Camera. I knock again and harder.

Usually when an offender does not answer the door it is no big deal, go to a neighbor and confirm the address. But now I have got to get in the house. Having one camera means there are others that I did not see. I have to know what they see and where the TV is that they go to. Pertinent information for any Warrant Team coming to arrest this offender if the need arises.

Still no answer. So now Casey and I start looking around the yard looking for any and everything (more cameras mostly). While we were looking around, a neighbor pulls in next door. She gets out of the car and goes into her house without ever having seen the two men, clad in black, skulking in her neighbors yard, and looking at her intently. I knock on her front door and another female comes to the door. I give the standard greeting and ask if they recognize their supposed neighbor in the picture. She tells me that she does not know the person in the photo, but that she did see someone cutting the grass there earlier. I thank her for her time and head back to my offenders house.

This time I go to the side door and pound on it (The US Geological Survey probably got a reading on some of the local earthquake instruments). As I step back from the door I hear more yapping dog and what sounded like a heavy foot shuffling across a hardwood floor. I pound again. Now, we hear someone talking inside. Casey goes to the front door and starts pounding. Lo and behold my offender comes to the front door.

We act casual as he gives us the story about being in the shower. Casey asks who he was talking to and like magic his mother comes out of the bed room. She of course was in bed asleep the entire time. We look through the house but do not find anything out of the ordinary. I ask about the camera. He tells me that it is just for show, that it is the only one, and it is to try and scare off would be burglars. As we leave Casey tugs on the wires on the camera and they are not attached to anything. I make a note of it and we move on the the next house.

A few houses later, we come to another of my offenders houses. As we get out of the car Casey points out the two very noticeable CCTV cameras. Here we go again. More pounding and no answers, this time there was a much bigger and angrier Alarm system (Pitt Bull in back). We walk around back and see a second building and a Recreational Vehicle. Casey takes the RV and I take the building with yet another CCTV camera.

As I knock I hear someone inside and the door opens. It is my offender. We converse as I step in side and take note of the two beds and the person still sleeping in the one. I ask about the camera and she states that they are all for show. Same story as before. Casey confirms this as the second person wakes up. Another female (thankfully clothed). She greets us and jumps into the conversation. She is way to calm to have just woke up to two strange men basically in her bedroom, at least she was a lot calmer than I would be given the same situation ("Who are you? What are you doing here? Get out! etc.") After talking with her we find that she is also on Probation. I get the name of her Agent and confirm that they both have report days and proceed to the next house on the list.

The rest of the houses did not have video surveillance and the Home Visit day was rapped up with out incident. Casey and I went back to our respective mountains of paperwork and I began to prepare for Court tomorrow. If you know anything about me, you know that I am just going to love that.

Semper Fi Deus
Goose