Police activity

[Carrie12345]

How would you feel?

 

Last night, my dds had LL softball practice on the school campus.  The high school softball team was playing on the adjacent field.  The little boys and I stayed in the car because it was just a short practice, and chilly outside!  The softball fields and field hockey field are tucked way in the back, out of sight of this and all parking lots, because nobody cares about girls' sports.  (Not really the current point, but I always feel the need to call attention to these things.)

 

The campus is quite large.  Just two schools, but lots of open and wooded space with meandering roads.  We have campus security, including at least 2 mobile units that I've seen simultaneously. There are police barracks right down the street.

 

As we were hanging out in the car, two police cars were cruising around the relatively small lot, behind maintenance buildings, down the path to the girls' fields, and back again.  Of course my youngest had a sudden desperate need for the bathroom @@, which happens to be on the end of the big maintenance building.  

 

So, as one of the officers was passing us, I asked "Is everything okay? I have kids down on the field."

His response was, "You're fine." And off he went.

 

Over the years, I've seen campus security patrolling regularly, but I've never seen the actual cops.  Why would they be there if everything's fine?  We live in an area where it's almost normal to hear that there's an armed man in the woods (literally had one just last week in the neighboring district that caused an SIP) so of course my brain goes to something like that, although that obviously wasn't the specific case here.

 

Because the officer said we were fine, I didn't feel a need to gather up my kids and take off, but my mind sure was racing!  Logically, I understand I'm not entitled to an explanation, but I'm still pretty annoyed not to have been given one under the circumstances.  I had four kids with me, two of them out of my sight, with unusual police activity in the immediate area.  Am I nuts for feeling uneasy about that?!

 

Had it been campus security, I would have thought nothing of it.

 

[Pawz4me]

I probably would have thought they were bored and just looking for something to do. Especially if the officer didn't seem tense or on alert. I guess for me a lot would have depended on what I sensed from him much more than his words.

[ErinE]

Over the years, I've seen campus security patrolling regularly, but I've never seen the actual cops.  Why would they be there if everything's fine?  We live in an area where it's almost normal to hear that there's an armed man in the woods (literally had one just last week in the neighboring district that caused an SIP) so of course my brain goes to something like that, although that obviously wasn't the specific case here.

 

Because the officer said we were fine, I didn't feel a need to gather up my kids and take off, but my mind sure was racing!  Logically, I understand I'm not entitled to an explanation, but I'm still pretty annoyed not to have been given one under the circumstances.  I had four kids with me, two of them out of my sight, with unusual police activity in the immediate area.  Am I nuts for feeling uneasy about that?!

 

Had it been campus security, I would have thought nothing of it.

 

Since there's a station just down the street, I would have thought they were cruising waiting for end of shift. Or they were doing a normal drive through the area. Or they had reports of people lurking around the buildings and had stepped up patrols. Or the buildings had been recently vandalized and they'd opted to increase security. There could be many reasons. Unless I see flashing lights or hear sirens, I don't think anything of seeing police cars.

 

I live in a relatively safe area. We have police officers driving through our neighborhood daily. It alarmed me at first, but I concluded that in my town, this was a common practice.

[Guest]

I'm so used to living n housing, I barely even register police cruising around. It wouldn't occur to me to ask. Now if they were looking in the bushes or something on foot and not meandering, I might.

[Carrie12345]

I'm so used to living n housing, I barely even register police cruising around. It wouldn't occur to me to ask. Now if they were looking in the bushes or something on foot and not meandering, I might.

 

Maybe that's the issue for me.  We don't have a "local" police force. The regional police station is 8 miles from my house, and the state police barracks are 10 miles from my house.  It's highly unusual to see them unless there's a problem or they're working radar on the main roads.

 

Private security company vehicles, otoh, are everywhere.

[creekland]

We live on a road where we probably don't get one car per hour on average. The only ones back here are those who live here or guests - or folks who are lost.  Our township doesn't have a police force - we depend upon State Police.  Yet every now and then a police car (or two) drives down our road - same with ambulances actually.  At first we wondered what was up.  One time we got a chance to ask an ambulance driver and he told us he was merely teaching a newbie the roads in their district.  Ever since then we've thought the same is likely true for the police cars.  (Either that or their curiosity might have them seeing what is back here on a boring day.)

 

Maybe the same is happening where you are - teaching a newbie the area.

[Melissa B]

Our town has so many police officers - state, county, local, campus, it would seem a strange day not to see a couple dozen at least. They are everywhere. :) It seems to be a fairly safe area (maybe because of the number of police.) They have to be someplace when nothing is going on. Ours cruise through all of the parks, the schools, downtown. They just drive up and down or walk around and chat, keeping an eye on things, being available.

 

I did wait with my dd at soccer practice last week when there were eight or so police cars with lights going (no sirens) blocking the next two streets. They brought in a K-9 and I assume found the person/thing they were looking for as they all left a few minutes later without incident. I left after that. The police forces here are the nicest I've met anywhere. We have very few issues and I feel comfortable with my kids traveling the city on their own.

[wintermom]

I'm a little confused. You asked, and he answered. Do you believe he wasn't telling the truth for some reason? Are you on edge for a specific reason?

[Caroline]

I'm a little confused. You asked, and he answered. Do you believe he wasn't telling the truth for some reason? Are you on edge for a specific reason?

But he answered, "You're fine." He didn't answer her question.

[Arcadia]

"You're fine" here would likely mean someone (elderly, young child) is missing and the local police are searching for the person.

We have a local (city) police station down the street. If we see highway patrol as well then we worry as the highway patrol would go to the supermarket down the road for food but won't be walking around in the three school campuses in my neighborhood.

[Jean in Newcastle]

But he answered, "You're fine." He didn't answer her question.

Even if there was something going on, his answer was that she and her kids were fine (ie. in no danger). I would believe him and wouldn't worry about it. Edited May 5, 2017 by Jean in Newcastle

[Arctic Bunny]

Maybe his daughter was playing softball and he was watching without actually stopping and getting out?

[mamaraby]

Even if there was something going on, his answer was that she and her kids were fine (ie. in no danger). I would believe him and wouldn't worry about it.

This.

 

It was probably a standard secuirty check.

[Katy]

If you have a smartphone, there are police scanner radio apps.  Many areas have the police, fire, and ambulance radio feeds online for these apps to use.  Whenever I'm curious about sirens or anything going on (including tornado sirens) I turn mine on.  In the event of a true emergency sometimes they change to a private channel.  Most frequently because a tower got hit my lightening or something, but after the Boston Marathon bombing after the first brother died and while the second was still on the run they figured out that they were following police movements with that app, so they switched to a private band.  It's always interesting to listen in those scenarios because you hear it on the radio at least 20 minutes before it makes it to TV news.

[SKL]

He probably didn't give you specifics because the matter wasn't for public disclosure.

 

I would think it was some minor thing that the cops were called about that had already ended.  Or they were investigating a drug deal or runaway teen.

[Lecka]

Someone called the police on me in a similar situation because I was briefly out of view from my daughter and the person thought she was lost but didn't want to freak her out by approaching her (I saw a man but didn't think I needed to tell him my daughter was slightly ahead of me on her bike ----- and I was obviously with my younger son and can see how I didn't come across as being there with my daughter).

 

The police officer came and then ended up hanging around because he was meeting another police officer there to go over something, I saw them walking down the trail when I was leaving.

 

I was also with a group of moms and almost called the police on a man acting strange.... I talked to him and it turned out his back had started spasming while he was driving and he was trying to relieve the spasming.

 

I think there are a lot of innocent things like that.

 

I also think they would have approached you to leave if you needed to leave in the slightest.

[Farrar]

I would also assume that either they were doing something like using the parking lot for a chat or end of shift change or something or they were looking around for someone or evidence or something, but it was something that wouldn't be of any danger to you or your kids, like a runaway youth or maybe someone who had engaged in petty theft.