Transcript from a speech by Officer Fred Fields
I’m here to talk about community policing.
I know, I know. Most of the time, guys with fancy degrees come up with some academic theory, and then us patrol cops are stuck with making it apply to real life. Which it never does.
But community policing is different. It’s what I’ve always done: getting to know the citizens of Danger Cove and working with you to solve problems.
Take the case I closed last week. I got a call from Shirley’s Ice Cream Parlor that their lighthouse had been stolen. Not the real one overlooking the cove, but the foot-tall, plastic one that collected donations for repairs to the real one.
I could have just filed a report, but that’s not how community policing works. Instead, I talked to everyone who had one of the little lighthouses. I started with the Cinnamon Sugar Bakery, and I see that some of you are snickering. I do have something of a sweet tooth, but it was actually solid police instinct. Riley told me she’d seen three teen boys hanging around the counter looking guilty, and after they left, she realized they’d added about twenty dollars to the plastic lighthouse.
I thought it was just a weird coincidence until I talked to Cassidi at The Clip and Sip. And before you ask, no, I didn’t accept one of the complimentary drinks she offers her customers. Cassidi had seen the three teens, they’d lurked a bit, and then after they left, the plastic lighthouse was noticeably fuller.
I got the same story from George at the Enchanted Florist and Gil at the museum. I was on my way to talk to Bree at the Ocean View B&B, when I got a message that the owner of the Smugglers’ Tavern wanted me to stop by. There was a lighthouse there too, and it was just up the road, so I decided the B&B could wait.
Hope Foster was behind the bar, and she silently pointed me toward her only customers, three teens slumped at a corner table. I didn’t need to do a field test to know they’d been drinking, and I knew without asking that they hadn’t gotten their alcohol at the Tavern. See? Community policing at work.
Two of the kids were completely passed out, but the third one raised his head. He gave me a big smile. “Hi, Ossifer. Looking for this?” He raised a plastic lighthouse into the air and waved it at me.
I pulled out my handcuffs, dragged the kids down to the station, and all three of them are locked up until they turn eighteen.
Ha! Gotcha!
They’re grounded, but they’re not locked up. That’s the whole point of community policing. We work together, so responsible business owners can get involved without fearing that they’ll be blamed unfairly, and kids who get caught up in a bit of foolishness won’t get punished disproportionately to their actions.
See, the teens had wanted to help raise funds for the lighthouse renovations. They stumbled across some internet articles about stolen charity boxes, and they noticed that afterwards, people were so outraged by the theft that they showered money on the charity. That gave the boys the not-so-bright idea to steal one of the little lighthouses in order to increase donations.
They were working on returning all the money in the stolen lighthouse, dividing it among all the collection boxes, when they started to have second thoughts. They stopped at a nearby friend’s house to have a drink or three for courage before continuing on to their last stop, the Smugglers’ Tavern.
They forgot to be stealthy about filling the lighthouse on the bar and they even brandished the stolen lighthouse while they were high-fiving each other on a mission accomplished. Hope encouraged them to stay and enjoy a free mug of local cider, letting them believe it would be the hard variety, but actually serving them the alcohol-free version, and then she called dispatch to contact me. The boys were turned over to their parents, and I’m confident they won’t do any more illegal drinking or lighthouse-lifting in the future.
I hope you’ll remember this story and contact me through our website, dangercovemysteries.com if you see anything suspicious here in town. Only you can put the U in community policing.
Okay, I know that was corny. The guys with the fancy degrees told me to say it.
Gin Jones’s Four-Patch of Trouble is the fourth book in the multi-author “Danger Cove” mystery series, published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. The first book is Secret of the Painted Lady.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on July 10 for the chance to win a digital copy of Four-Patch of Trouble. The giveaway is open to everyone. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected.
About the author
Gin Jones is a lawyer who specializes in ghost-writing for other lawyers. In her spare time, Gin makes quilts, grows garlic and serves on the board of directors of the XLH Network. Visit Gin at her website, ginjones.com.
Sounds like a great place to visit! Thanks for the opportunity!
I lve tonread and i would love to win this
This sounds like a great book. I will be checking out the others. Thank you for the chance.
I love this Danger Cove Mysteries Series. So far every one has been delightful. I’m really looking forward to reading Gin Jones co-writing with Elizabeth Ashby. J/k. It seems Elizabeth Ashley adds little to the story.
We couldn’t write them without Elizabeth Ashby! She’s even got cameos in some of the books. I know she’s in my books (both Four-Patch and the one I should be editing right now for release in November, Tree of Life and Death), plus she had a couple of appearances at the bakery in Jenn Fischetto’s book. I can’t remember if she was in the others before that. But you never know; she might just show up here in a Day in the Life post!
Gin Jones is a new author for me, and her Danger Cove Mysteries Series sounds like great books. Thank you for the giveaway.
myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds like a good series that I need to start reading.
Very clever, the books are new to me, so thank you!
Sounds nice, thanks for the chance 🙂
Sounds like a fun read… 🙂
Sounds like a fun read. Thank you for this opportunity!
It sounds fun! Thanks for the giveaway. 🙂
I’m off to amazon to check this fun- sounding series out! Thanks for the giveaway.
Sounds like a fun series, will check out the other books now
I WANT THIS BOOK!!!
Thanks Dru for the interview/review of this book. I am not familiar with this series or this author so it’s great to get an insight into their work. Also thanks for the chance to win a copy of it. robeader53@yahoo.com
I love this series and the way different well known authors put their spin on the village. 🙂 What fun to read the “police” report. This is sure to be another hit book, and I would love to own a copy. Thanks to Dru and Elizabeth, Gin, and Gemma for the chance to win a copy of this book. 😉
So glad to hear that you’re enjoying the series. And there are more great books to come — Traci Andrighetti’s Deadly Dye and A Soy Chai in a few weeks and T. Sue Versteeg’s Killer Closet Case in September (yeah, you’ve got to wait an extra month between those books) and another quilting mystery in November, Tree of Life and Death. Then more in 2016, although I don’t know the details.
Good lesson, Officer, and some fun reading.for the rest of us.
Sounds different. Different take on policing – but a good idea.
thanks for the chance to win the book. this is a new author for me.
There is an “l” in giveaway.
Ha! Fred would appreciate that.
Sounds like a different kind of book in a good way, would love to win, ty for the chance
looks fun to read
Sounds like a fun book. We need more ossifers like you!
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I do love Officer Fred Fields (and the real-life officers who are as dedicated as he is). Fred’s only got a small part in each of the Danger Cove books, so I wrote this to let him be the star for a change.
Sounds like a fun place to visit! 🙂
Sounds like a fun read. Count me in.
Aw, there hearts were in the right place.
Loved Fred’s report.
Jean Steffens
What a good intro to Fred. I like his style. I’m putting this series on my TBR list!
Sounds great!! Thanks!!
Sounds like a really great read and would love to win 😉 This one is on my wish list….
This looks like a good read i hope i win it
Would love to win.
a new-to-me series……..added to my Wish List………
thanx for the intro………….
I have added this book to my Mystery Read wish list as well as the others in the series. I can’t get enough of these wonderful mysteries. Thank you for the opportunity to win this one.
I would be delighted to be considered to win this book. I was so interested in the field in which Gin works having worked for attorneys for many years, and this series just sounds so interesting to me too. Thank you for the chance.
Sincerely,
Cynthia
What a great way to start out a story–sounds like a series I need to read.
Considering that I have a cop in the family and he has to work with the community (Asian) I’d love to win this book.
Sounds good. Thanks for chance
Thanks Gin for commenting.
Contest is closed.