A topic I frequently address in the scope of my job as a police officer, is the vulnerability of the elderly. While you might not think the subject applies to you now, it will someday. Let’s face it - like it or not, we all get old.

Here is a scam frequently used to take advantage of our senior citizens.

DISTRACTION BURGLARIES: Usually this scam involves two or more people. One person will go to the door of a senior citizen and use a ruse to have the elderly person let them into their home. Often this scam will have the crook dressing in some type of uniform or carrying a clipboard and requesting to go to the rear yard to conduct some kind of test, or take some measurements. They may even have a tape measure with them or wear a hardhat to look more official.

When the senior lets the ‘workman’ (or woman) into their home, the crook unlocks the front door and then leads the elderly person (the victim) to the rear yard while an accomplice quickly goes through the house taking small items such as money, jewelry, cash, checks and credit cards.

This is one form of a distraction burglary. Another version is where a mother and child, or in some cases just a child, comes to the door wanting the victim to let them in the rear yard to look for a ball or kitten. Our senior citizens can’t imagine that a mother and child would be up to no good and let them into the house. Again, one party distracts the senior, while another goes through the house and takes items of value. As soon as the thief is done in the house, both parties leave and the poor senior might not realize for a day or two they’ve been burglarized.

There are other variations of a distraction burglary, but these are the two most common. Remember: If someone comes to your door and you’re not expecting them, be on your guard. If they want in your house, red flags should go off in your head. Don’t take what anyone tells you at face value. If they say they are from the water company or the phone company or any place of business, ask questions. Get a phone number where you can call and verify these people are conducting legitimate business.

In the case of someone wanting to take measurements, have them meet you at a side gate and let them in that way. If they need to find a ball or cat in the back yard, offer to go find the ball or cat yourself. Be sure, before you leave your home, all your doors are locked.

The elderly are susceptible to thieves for several reasons - mostly because often they aren’t good witnesses. Often they don’t remember hair color, or height. They can’t remember if the suspect had a car or if he/she had tattoos.

Another reason they’re targeted is because they may not realize for a very long time they’ve been victimized…or if they do, they are ashamed to tell anyone.

If you have a senior in your life or in your neighborhood, it’s the right thing to do to be extra vigilant in watching out for their wellbeing. If you see someone hanging around an elder’s house and it seems unusual, go over in a friendly way and see what’s going on. It might be Uncle Elmo visiting from Kansas, or it might be something more sinister - something you can easily determine by asking a few questions.

Unfortunately, we all get old, and even more unfortunately, there are criminals who will be seeking us out to victimize.

Until next time,

KMA 367

I ask this question because, often, people are so surprised at my chosen profession. I can tell because they will usually say something like, “I never would have guessed you’re a cop. You don’t look like a cop.” Occasionally, I’ll get, “You don’t act like a cop.”

One time, when I worked at the Police Academy, I was walking to my office and passing by a fountain in the courtyard. A woman came up to me with her adult son in tow. He may have known what was coming, because he looked like he wished the ground would open up and swallow him. She hesitated and asked if she could talk to me. “Sure,” I said, “I don’t bite.” The woman said she was visiting from out of state and just wanted me to know how refreshing it was to see a feminine police officer that wore nail polish and lipstick. She made some comment about most female officers looking like big bruisers from a football team. She further added she couldn’t imagine me being out on the street arresting ‘big guys’. Frankly, it was a big boost to my self-esteem for the day - everyone likes to think they look nice, but so often, no one tells us when we do. On the other hand, she’d also sort of insulted me. I’ve arrested men, women, and children of all sizes.

Let me give you another reason why I’m asking you the question, What is a Cop? Several years ago, I’d entered one of my manuscripts in a contest and got negative comment from one of the judges because they didn’t think my female officer was drinking a ‘cop-like’ drink. I had my detective drinking (off-duty) a White Russian. The contest judge felt the White Russian was too froo-froo, and a cop would drink Scotch. I’m not sure if I got marked down for that, but as someone who has an occasional White Russian, I can tell you, cops do drink them.

So for years, comments similar to these have made me wonder what the general public thinks a cop is. Do you see us ticket-writing machines? Do you see us as someone to fear? Do you see us as never around when you need one - or always around when you want to talk on your cellphone while driving? Do you see us as problem-solvers? Do you see us as rescuers? Do you see us as heroes?

I want to know. What does a cop look like? How do cops act? I’d also like to know how you formed your opinion.

Until next time,

KMA367

You might be wondering how a television station could help reduce crime problems with the programming of their shows. Oh, and a disclaimer: I’m not getting paid by ABC for anything, I don’t know anyone who works at ABC, I don’t own ABC stock - nothing like that. This is just an observation on my part. Stick with me…I’ll get there.

When I was a little girl, my mom use to tell me stories. Some of the stories your mother probably told you too. Tales like, The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Tortoise and The Hare. When she’d get to the end of the story she would say: And the moral of the story is… and then impart great words of wisdom…words that stick with me even today.

Somewhere, between the time I was a little girl and today, our society has forgotten many of its morals. We’ve become a society of, ‘It’s too dangerous to get involved and it’s not affecting me, so I’m minding my own business.’

This is where ABC programming comes into play. Have you seen the television show What Would You Do? I’ve seen a number of episodes. Briefly, ABC hires a bunch of actors to depict everyday situations, then has hidden cameras to catch the results. One of the scenarios involved a woman driving a car (actress), and her two little girls (actresses). The ‘mother’ would get so frazzled by the kid’s behavior, she’d pull up to the curb in town and while screaming and yelling at her ‘children’, she would order the girls out of the car and then leave them alone on the sidewalk while she drove away. The question was, would any bystanders who weren’t in the scenario either stop the woman or try to help the girls.

Another skit involved airline pilots (actors) who were consuming lots alcoholic beverages and not hiding the fact they were planning to fly a plane. Remember - this is all an act. The idea was to see what fellow diners would do…or not do.

In all the skits, there is at least one person who comes forward to do the right thing. But often, there are many more who clearly see what is going on who walk away, avert their eyes, or watch in fascination and yet, do nothing.

At the end of the scenario, film crews come out and the show’s host talks to the people who did the right thing, and those who did nothing. The people who stepped up and took a stand often state they ‘…had to do something. I just couldn’t watch it continue.’

In many cases it’s obvious the ‘do nothing’ folks are embarrassed by their lack of action and might reconsider should they find themselves in a similar position another time. And then there are the folks who don’t think twice about not getting involved. Their position is that you never know who you’re going to be confronting and you could wind up dead. It is a valid point.

I’m going to branch off for a second because ABC actually has another show that deals with moral dilemma. Now, don’t laugh. The show is True Beauty. In that show, physically beautiful contestants (male and female) are competing for a prize, but what the contestants don’t know is that they are being judged on their inner beauty as well as their outward appearance. They are placed in scenarios that demand they make a moral decision. Some contestants go through the scenario with flying colors, and others…well…not so much. This show appeals (I would think) to younger viewers.

But what strikes me is, these shows are not only entertaining, they are teaching morals to society. I personally think it’s a sad commentary we have to be taught morals, but I’m glad to see some television shows are doing just that.

And here is where the tie-in to crime comes in (finally!). If more people were concerned that other members of society, who were nearby, might intervene or even object to their actions or bad behavior, maybe they wouldn’t do those things. Maybe they’d think twice before they broke into a home. Maybe they’d think twice before they got intoxicated and then got behind the wheel of their car. Maybe they’d leave their home before turning their spouse into a punching bag.

You see, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard a mother telling her kids a story, much less ending the story with: And the moral of the story is… Society is paying the price for the lack of those stories.

Finally, about those people who don’t want to get involved in distressing situations because it’s often dangerous…and it is. There’s an easy solution. Dial 9-1-1. We will come and we will help.

I’m going to focus on a touchy topic.  It’s something I’ve recently had to deal with in my own life, and almost everyone will eventually have to confront these circumstances in one way or another.  What I’m talking about is:  When are you too old to drive?

This subject became reality for me when, at a doctor’s appointment with my eighty-seven year old mother, the doctor asked me if Mom was driving okay.  The truth was, I hadn’t actually been a passenger while Mom was driving for a very long time.  I had no idea.

By law, the doctor was required to request a Re-examination of Driver due to a condition for which my mother had been diagnosed.  What that meant was that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wanted my mother to take the written examination and if she passed, they’d have her take the driving portion of the test.

Mom was not happy, and she certainly had a good argument.  “In all the years I’ve been driving, I’ve never been in an accident, and I’ve never had a ticket.  Why are they bothering me?”

As a daughter, I agreed with her.  As a police officer, not so much.  Every day, I witness unsafe driving.  Most of the bad driving I see is when I’m in my personal vehicle.  When a black and white police car is in the vicinity, people have a tendency to be on their best driving behavior.  It’s not so much that I worried about my Mom’s driving; I was more worried about the drivers around her.

I knew that while on the road, Mom wasn’t intentionally speeding or making unsafe lane changes.  But I also knew that her reaction time was considerably slower than most other drivers on the road.   Because it had been so long since my mother had driven me anywhere, I asked her to drive while we ran a couple of errands. 

There were a few things that caused me concern.  She liked to do a ‘California stop’ at posted stop signs.  A California stop is when the driver slows considerably at the stop sign, but fails to come to a complete stop.  (And for the record, your wheels must come to a complete stop at a stop sign.)  When driving on residential streets, Mom liked to hug the right curb - to the point it made me nervous she might weave a little and take off a parked car’s side mirror.  When I mentioned these things to her, she didn’t think they were that big of a deal.

Mom was determined to take the re-examination tests and prove the doctor, the DMV, and me wrong.  So she took her written test and passed.  Then came the time for the driving test.  The examiner was very nice, and things looked like they started well when Mom was able to demonstrate she knew how to operate her turn signals, windshield wipers, and horn.  Then the man got in the passenger seat, and they were off! 

When they returned, Mom appeared to be happy with her performance, and the examiner didn’t look traumatized.  The daughter in me was cheering for my Mom.  The cop in me was thinking to myself: How long will the state let Mom drive?

The question was answered when I learned my Mom had failed her driving test.    Once we got home, we reviewed the examiner’s notes.  The ‘fatal’ mistake had been pulling away from a curb without looking for on-coming traffic.  The notes said an on-coming car had to brake in order to avoid a collision.

“That didn’t happen,” my mother said.  “I didn’t see any car when I pulled away from that curb.”  I gently told her, that was the point.

My sister and I had already decided between the two of us, we’d be able to take Mom anywhere she needed to go.  Convincing Mom this was a good idea was a whole other matter.

 Now, months later, I think Mom accepts being chauffeured around.  But every now and then, she’ll say to me, “You know, I can still drive.  I’m a good driver.  I’ve never been in an accident, and I’ve never had a ticket.”

And you know what?  When I see the crazy driver’s on the road and their antics, I can’t disagree.  But my sister and I still sold Mom’s car.

Until next time…

KMA367

When two cops work well together they try to ensure they work together as much as possible.  Usually, it will start out that you have the same work ethic and that your “style” of policing is very similar, or if not similar, complimentary.

I was fortunate have such a partnership with another female officer whose name also happens to be Kathy.  We were “regular patrol cops,” also known as P-2 dogs…because regular patrol cops work like dogs.  We were known to other officers as, “The “K” car”, “Cagney and Lacey”, and “The Kathy Car”.   A  suspect once told us we were known on the street as Batman and Robin because we were “seen everywhere arresting everybody.”  The two of us laughed about that for quite some time.  Kathy and I did arrest a lot of people.  We were known to other cops as “magnets” because weird, complicated, stuff just dropped in our laps and usually turned into good arrests - or at the least, very good stories.

Eventually, the sergeants started splitting us up to work with rookie officers who were without training officers for a few days.  We weren’t getting paid to be training officers…we were still P-2 dogs, but decided if we were going to do the work, we were going to promote and earn the money to go with it.  So we did.

While we both moved on with our careers, I think we both recognized those five+ years we spent together in the wee hours of the morning arresting burglars, car thieves, narco suspects, and yes, even murderers, were the best of our careers.  We were so dedicated to each other we would go to work sick, just so the other wouldn’t have to work with someone else.  We had SO much fun together.

I’m sure we got on each other’s nerves from time to time, but the only time I can remember us really having a fight was the time I volunteered for a radio call that involved a dog.  It’s been a long time, and I don’t remember what the call was, (probably something like ’vicious animal attacking people’) but Kathy doesn’t really like dogs, and I knew it, but the call was in our area and I felt obligated to handle the incident.  She was so mad at me!  I don’t think she talked to me for a couple of days.  The call turned out okay, but I should have let the call go to another unit rather than have her mad at me.

Eventually, our paths split and we went our seperate ways.  She now has six kids and I have my family and my writing.  But when I pick up the phone and call her, or send her an e-mail, we’re right on track as if we’d never left that black and white patrol car.  In fact, with just the smallest communication we’re once again partners…and always friends.

            We’ve all seen it - and most of us have probably done it.  The traffic signal is displaying a yellow light and you speed up to “make the light.”  Unfortunately, you caught the light at the end of its phase, and when you finally get into the intersection, the light is r-e-d…red.

            As you safely make it across the junction to the other side, you glance hurriedly in the rear-view mirror hoping with all your might you don’t see a police officer.  You breathe a sign of relief when there isn’t one back there.   Mentally, you vow that the next time you approach an intersection you’ll slow down at the yellow light and stop at the red.  But guess what?  The next yellow light you see, you blast right through it, and the red light that follows.  You make your mental vow…again, and you do mean it - until the next time.

            Now, let me tell you about the person in the car on the other side of that intersection approaching you perpendicular.  They’ve had a horrible day.  They fought with their spouse in the morning, and in the afternoon, got called by the school regarding their son’s bad behavior.  After their computer at work froze and deleted the project they’d worked on all afternoon, they’re on their way home to diminish their troubles in a glass of wine.  As they approach the intersection (the same one you’re approaching) they see a red light facing them, but…miraculously the light changes to green.  They think to themselves, “Finally!  Something has gone right in this awful day,” and they press the accelerator a little harder to get home that much sooner.

            Here you come, sprinting to and through the yellow light that turns to r-e-d…red.  Can you guess the outcome of this story?  That’s right, disaster.  A traffic collision.  If everyone is very lucky, they’ll be battered and bruised, but no one will be seriously hurt.  If things go the worst way they can, one or more people will be dead.

            I made up this story to, hopefully, get you to re-think the way you drive.  When I’m on patrol in my black and white police car, most people are very aware of my presence, and drive like model citizens.  However, when I’m in my personal vehicle going home, it’s a whole different story.  People drive like they’re training for the Indy 500, changing lanes without signaling, but worse yet, they’re cutting off the driver behind them.  Then there are the folks who cruise through the stop signs in their residential neighborhoods because, “no one is ever coming the other way.”  Do I even need to bring up the cell phone issues?  I doubt it.  Even Oprah has started a “No Phone Zone” campaign to discourage people from using their phones while driving.  I’m sure you know what I mean because you’re out there with all the negligent drivers as well.

            As a police officer, and someone who spends the majority of my time at work driving the streets of Los Angeles, I see all kinds of traffic violations.  Most of the time, those violations don’t result in anyone getting hurt - most likely because other drivers have seen me in my black and white and drive defensively near the one person who hasn’t seen me.  But I’d like you to honestly think about the way you drive…the slips you make and the rules you break.  I’d like you to resolve to do better as a driver.  Otherwise, when we do get the opportunity to meet, you’ll be saying, “But officer, the light was yellow!”          

If you were at the Romance Writers of America recent national conference you know that one of the days the fire alarm in our hotel was activated.  Most of us were in workshops expanding our minds and gaining valuable writing knowledge. 

In the workshop I was in, the alarm sounded and the speaker stopped speaking and we all kind of looked around in bewilderment.  Was there a fire?  Was this a fire drill?  An alarm malfunction?  Along with the alarm and flashing lights a pre-recorded voice advised guests to “leave the building now.”

I was somewhat surprised by that directive.  My experience with similar alarms has been that the canned voice usually announces that the alarm activation was being investigated and further instructions would soon be issued.  But not on this day.  The voice to said  get out of the building.

That was when “cop-mode” kicked in.  Seeing a sign for an exit directly behind the stage where the speaker was standing, I moved in that direction.  However, when I was able to clearly see the exit doors, I quickly realized that the stage floor was about three feet above the ground and many of the women in the group would have a problem climbing down off the platform without injury.  So I directed everyone to exit the room from the entry doors and made sure we all got out of the room.  (I was the bossy redhead wearing a white jacket). 

As we exited the room there were a number of Marriott security officers advising the flood of women to exit the building.  But then another security officer came dashing by yelling, “False alarm!  False alarm!”  So we started moving back into the workshop classroom…until even more security officers arrived in the area.  Once again we were directed to leave the building.

Frustrated by the ever-changing instructions, I made the decision I was going to get out of the building and directed other women to follow.   Most of the women in the hallway and pouring from workshop rooms and headed toward the nearby escalators.  I deliberately avoided the escalators and elevators.  Walking across the hallway I chose a different exit that led to an exhibition-size hall and then some other doors that appeared, from my estimation, to lead to the outer perimeter of the building.  Our group was small - maybe fifteen or so women.  The rest had flocked to the escalators.  When the we reached the second set of doors that I’d thought would lead outside, we were confronted with a tall set of stairs that led to doors that opened to the outside.  One woman who saw the stairwell uttered words to the effect of “No flippin’ way,” and turned around to find another exit out of the building.  The remainder of our group climbed the stairs which took us to the loading ramp and to the driveway of the hotel to relative safety.

So what’s the point of this blog?  I want to tell you what was going through my mind during this event.  When the fire alarm first activated, I thought the natural thing…possible fire.  But as we all made our way to the hallway and I saw the huge mass of people waiting to ride the escalator to the lobby level I suddenly remember the news report I’d seen that very morning about two Marriott hotels in Jakarta being blown up by suicide bombers.  My knowledge and training dictated that I not “go the normal route”, just in case this was a terrorist attack.  If that was the case, where do you think an explosive device might have been left to detonate to harm the most people?  Perhaps near the escalators?  I was also concerned where any secondary devices might be placed.  I also wondered if our group, because we write about romance and sex and our heroines are smart, strong women, would be attractive to someone desiring to make a point to the United States.  

Now while my mind works by thinking of worst-case scenarios, that isn’t the way most people think.  Without further evidence that the event was nothing more than it appeared - someone activating the fire alarm - it would have done me no good to start shouting my thoughts to the hundreds of women in my vicinity.  In fact, it could have caused panic and possibly injuries.  So my decision was to get as many people as I could out of the building safely by the quickest and best route I could find, and that’s what I did.

I later learned that the day before, the over-flow hotel, the Omni, had also had a similar occurrance with a fire alarm activation.  Which makes me wonder if perhaps this was a “test run” by someone studying the response of guests and emergency responders to an emergency in an American hotel.

I’m not writing this post to scare you.  I’m writing it so that if you are faced with a similar situation you will think ”outside the envelope” and do your best to keep yourself safe. 

One final thought…If this had been a real emergency I would have been a lot more assertive in my directions and there is no way I would let anyone who was within sight of an exit door go back inside the building to find another exit.  One way or another I would get you up those stairs and out of that building. 

Watch for Part Two of this blog within the next several days.

Until next time…

KMA367