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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-05-15, Page 7IF,,,V,"4%,,,,144,44,'"".."4,1,7°;'t^ ' 4..•4.1”.,' '''t • ,A. 41 • . , ' II, .' ' 4 4# "... . I. '4.• - .. ' JO, . ' . • e 1,0 • • 1,,,/ • nWsw' 10‘`,, ' ' w 444, .,00.:14140,01,,404"frie*k foetid) SIGNAL --'STA is mitilti2:ie?. arehts: 1 BY JEFF sEpboN Saturday night in Goderich. The beer flows freely, The Square is jammed with cars and pedestrians seeking a good time, motorists partying or nightclubbing aim their cars .for homeand blurrily hope they will get there with no problems and Goderich Polide Force collectively pulls up its belt and hits the streets prepared for alniOst anything, hoping for little. The force, three men strong„ on Saturday night, is saddled with the difficult task of protecting life and property of the residents of Goderich and ,upholding the law of the land. To gain some insight into what the department runs into on an average Saturday night, Chief Pat King invited ,the Signal - Star on an evening patrol with his officers. Armed with a notebook, pen and,camera (in casesomething ' countered) the reporter arrived at the police station at 9 p.m. able to slip in early and fill out • worthy of a picture was en - night may bring. "Last night was pretty busy so it will probably be a little slower tonight. They usually save up their energy and cut loose every other night or weekend," he reasoned. Heading ' out the Bayfield Road the constable said that possibly next weekend would have been a better one to go out. He said the town usually 'kicks up its heels on the long weekend, and that combined with the tourist traffic can make for a busy evening. Checking out the Windsor warehouse on Huron • Road Lonsbary spotted a car he was familiar with and wanted . to check out. The vehicle was headed towards Clinton and the constable began to get frustrated at the traffic that was delaying him from.pulling it over. Flipping on the roof light he made a dash around some slower vehicles flipping his headlights to high bean to Just as, he was about to begin the search of the vehicle signal the driver to pull over. car's owner " was dtjvng and L'onsbary, wanting to see the' owner, realized his efforts were futile. He 'strode back to the creaser just in tinrie to take a return call from the station advising him to go to The Square to help out Constable Webb. Pulling on to the town's main street Lonsbary surveyed the situation from a - distance thinking the gathering of peo.ple could be the trouble the officers • dreaded. Closer examination ' .showed that the difficulty was only a rear .end collision and that • the crowd was only a curious orie. Taking the necessary measurements the two officers gathered information from the drivers, passengers and wit- nesses.involved in the accident to make out their report. "Larry is- going on holidays Monday and he wants to get out of the station in good time tonight after work," expLa.ined with the accident he: may be Lonsbary. "If I help him out a armed himself with his flashlight and after instructing the dispatcher to call the store owner, he checked out the rear entrance to the building.' All clear, he jut waited until the' businessman arrived to shut off the alarm and . check his building. All this donein the firstdhalf hour of the shift Lonsbary began to wonder if the night may notbe busier than he 'suspected. A break in the calls from the station allowed the constable to be questioned on some aspects of policing that the public , rarely considers when they criticize their men in blue. "I guess every situation is potentially dangerous when you stop and think about it," replied Lonsbary when asked what he thought when he. approaChed, a car he has stoped. "Most of the time you're concentrating on doing your job 'and your personal safety is pa rt ,of the job. If you thoUght about gettingshot or assaulted every time you walked up to a car k---- - .—Not.knOwing.whatte,expect-ancL.---COnstahle.Webb„,,ealooton,The–.411e.r.opottand get it over-witI622.--windowimetty-soon your -nerves . slightly Al at ease in ,case sometiffng serious did occur he' climbed into the front seat of a. cruiser and went "on duty". constable George Lonsbary was behind the wheel of the cruiser for the first part of the evening. As he wheeled onto The Square glancing out the window into the park he offered a prediction as to what the Square, radioed to Lonsbary - In the midst of the traffic for assistance'. • investigation a call carne,,over "Check with him to see if it is the radio that the burglar Lonsbary in- alarm was ringing. at structed the dispatcher. "I'll be Ormandy's Jewellry. Arriving out of ,the car for awhile." at the scene Lonsbary's first • Rushing off to the stopped car •reaction to the call proved the officer shone his high correct. Someone had given the powered flashlight • in the door or window a good shaking window making a preliminary setting.off the sensitive alarm. search. The girlfriend of the Just to be sure the 'officer would be shot and you'd be no good for the job.P • Cruising about town during a kill in activities Lonsbary and Webb maintained radio contact with one another fairly regularly. Webb patrolled The Square watching for possible trouble and called the cruiser" regularly on • potential Customers for the officers. xeptott ei?Sr,l,,,f'''''4•1 1 28 YEAR - 20 THURSDAY, MAY,. 1 5, 1975 SECOND SEC1'IOP41 • • Kids •drink. wvhil drink thenT dri'. The method of policing The Square still seems to be a mystery according to, Lon- fsbhry. People • drive around drinking'beer and are spotted - by the patrolman on foot and he radios the cruiser to in- yestigate, • "Sometimes they think we have eyes all over town," grinned Lonsbary. After pulling over a vehicle for running a red light Lon- sbary spotted a car he recognized and knowing- it could possibly. be toting _beer, he pulled it over: A quick search turned up a partially consumed 12 pack and two bottles opened and half full. • Seizing the case as evidence he prepared to issue a $53 ticket for the offence when the person • caught came back to the cruiser to discuss the subject. "Having liquor in a place other than your residence is going to cost you but I want to tell you that by trying to finish off that bottle before I took it could have doubled the charge • and earned you an obstruction •charge," Advised the constalate, f you want to appear in court this is your date or you can fill in this section here and pay the money:: Pulhng away from the scene Lonsbary wondered where some people get their money- • tie said the pffendor had been caught for the same thing just a few weeks ago and given a similar charge. "It takes ,a lot for some • people to learn," he'claimed. • Back at the station filling out the forms and reports common after every shift the officers * relaxed and discussed the night's activities. The two on duty, constables were out handling a domestic situation, when a call came through that .the alarm at Ormandy's was ringing again. With no alternative but to get irL his own car and check the matter out Lonsbary com- plainingly, got his equipment, together and headed out. Several minutes later he called through to the cruiser that a car had sped around The Square makingunnecessary noise and • headed up South S treet.- The cruiser gave pursuit and after Several questionable stops at stop signs they pulled , the .offendor over, Despite „heavy opposition from the driver of the vehicle both on the scene and later at the station, he was given the summons. Constable Tom Jarczak, the officer taking over duty, radioed Lonsbary replarly for information pertaining to the violation and complained of the ' man's • protests, Taking the • verbal abuse in stride he completed the task and • returned to .the station to pick p his equipment for the night. "If people could only realize why we do these things the job Would be a lot easier," said Jarczak' referring to the in- Cident "They think we harass them, refuse to give _them a breals and we're out to get them," he said. "If they only realized that we are trying to help them to help themselves. They don't seem to know the danger they are in or the risk they • are •to the residents of town when they pull some of these stunts." Cruising The Square the constable spotted a van stopped in the middle of the Tad. He decided to check it out and despite verbal abuse from the occupants he found what he suspected, a case of opened, partially consumed beer. Issuing the ticket he continued to ignore the comthents from the truck or from motorists passing by the incident. negative reaction we get? They think I'm doing this because I like to. I would like it very much if I didn't have to search any vehicles," said Constable Jarczak. • :Two officers on duty in the • "%bra' ld-b&-an asset 'for searching vehicles, according to the ex,.OPP officer. He pointed out that the van may have contained something more than just beer but there was no' way he could look through it thoroughly and keep an eye on the occupants without • a backup man. A later search• of a car proved his theory. A ear pulled over , . e could-ill:St be searched properly without assistance even though Jarczak suspected drugs in the vehicle. 'Ct'ifter we pull.- all these people over and take their'beer they complain they have nothing to do here but drive around and drink," said, the constable, "I came from the city and when I was young I lived to get out to the rural areas but I guess it's all where you sit. The grass is always greener on the other Expanding on his suggestioP Constable Jarczak added that even' though most of the beer. seized during an evening was from younger people, most of the traffic violations occurring were older drivers. "The kids drive around and drink while their _parents go to parties and get fairly well drunk. We pick up the parents trying to get their cars home. I don't know which is worse.' Patrolling the streets of the town after most everyone had gone to bed or been taken to b,?d by the policemen, a call came through that a car had •been. reported stolen. Upon hearing the name of the owner the constable • suggested that possibly his .car had been hidden by some friends or the owner • had gotten , tipsy . and forgotten where heparked it. "It will. probably turn ,up tomorrow,said Constable Jarczak finishing up his' shift driving' around. looking for the car. • • ' • , "Back to the station, fella" "I've heard that one before." "Okay, let's have a look:" "AA "You're, under arrest," said the four foot high officer in a high squeaky voice typical I a youngster. "For assault causing bodily harm." • The tiny officer dwarfed by his oversized shirt, too large police hat and a holster that stretched practically to his knee threatened his prisoner with a huge billy club as he placed the handcuffs on the man's tiny wrists. The offence was by one Paul Murphy, committed when he attacked his older brother. Paul, ten years old,.had lost his , temper and assaulted his 14 year old brother Pat.. Pat pressed charges and phoned the police chief, 12 year old Mike Murphy, to come out and run the offender The mock arrest was staged Monday afternoon in conjunction with Police Week in Goderich. Mike Murphy had, been sqlectedfrom Grade 6 students in town who submitted short essays on why they would like to be 'police chief for a day. Mike's name was;drawn from a hat. He was given the opportunity to put on Chief Pat King's uniform for an afternoon. The- conto ,1 ' .1)y and a girl from the grade u elases of all three Goderich elementary schools getting the chance to don the uniform,, handle a radio, arrest omeone, fire a pistol at the gun range and fingerprint and make a mug shot of their arfestee. • M ike Murphy was the, first. Revelling at the chance to handle the unloaded revolvers of the police he was thrilled at. the chalice to be a policeman. Asking Matny questions he looked over the equipment pretending to be the super cop seen. on te lev is i on. • • -••••• • "What keneut gun," he said handling one of the revolvers. "1 his one s a cannon, he said' Picking up another. • Murphy practiced his arrest procedures on Chief King. Holding the chief at bay with a re‘;'olVer in each hand he advised him of the charge and of his rights. Mike is the saty of Mr, and Mrs. Dan Murphy of Gloucester Terrace. He told the •Chief in his essay that he wanted to be chief for a day to see how an arrest was made, meet the officer who arrested the kid- napPer, see the pollee equipment .and relieve the chief of all the hard work he has during the day. 1' ,• 0 , •,^ 44 , 4. g' 4. 41 4