Help available no matter how bleak situation appears

I’d like to touch on a hard subject that’s impacted almost every facet of my life since October 1993. I’ll preface this discussion by saying last week was a tough week — a very tough week.

In 1993, suicide made a visit to my home. Last week (and far too many other weeks) it chose to visit town during my watch. Over 20 years later and I still have trauma as fresh as it was back in 1993.

If you need help, get help! Please don’t become a statistic; let us help you find a better way. Choosing a permanent solution to a temporary problem is not a good idea.

I continue to believe in the innate goodness of most folks and understand that sometimes otherwise resourceful people just run out of known options. That being said, there are options available and we are more than happy to help.

The Nevada Community Prevention Coalition has been very active in addressing some very difficult life issues. It meets the third Thursday of each month at the Boulder City Library and can be reached at 702-293-3313.

The Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention has literally been a life-saver for thousands of people. Call 800-273-TALK (8255) or see suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Finally, a group that literally saved my sanity, Survivors of Suicide Loss has meetings all over the Las Vegas Valley. Linda Flatt can be contacted at 702-486-8225 for information.

If you think this doesn’t apply to you, think again. Educate yourself and become armed with some resources and facts. If you never need it, then consider yourself very lucky. Take it from me, when you need it, there will be little, if any, warning and you’ll never have a better feeling than helping another human being find value and help in this life journey.

The Trauma Intervention Program always needs help. If you’re not part of the solution … well, you know the rest.

Now, let’s head out:

Dec. 25. Accident: A subject calls 911 to request assistance in getting his vehicle out of the sand. The vehicle rolled multiple times and is more than stuck in the sand at 7:05 a.m. in the area of Eldorado Valley Road and U.S. Highway 95.

Suspicious: There is a report of a yellow scooter that appears to have been in an accident. The scooter is impounded at 11:27 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Highway.

Family disturbance: Police receive a report of a male and female yelling and breaking their own items. There were warned on a verbal altercation at 5:53 p.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.

Theme for the day: If you encounter a very slow moving vehicle on Nevada Highway, you’re going too fast if you fail to notice the male pushing it to the gas station.

Arrests 3; medicals 2

Dec. 26. Family disturbance: A couple is yelling at each other in the driveway. They don’t consider it yelling, just a focused discussion at 9:08 a.m. in the 300 block of Tavernier Street.

Training: Young people and adults are seen running around out in the desert with red plastic guns. It was Boulder City Explorers training for a competition at 10:13 a.m. in the area of Buchanan Boulevard and Veterans Memorial Drive.

Animal: A large white dog won’t let the postman deliver the mail. The mail is delivered successfully at 3:37 p.m. in the 500 block of Ville Drive.

Theme for the day: Your new car is beautiful but they’re all the same when it comes to 81 in a 55; there are no excuses.

Arrests 6; medical 3.

Dec. 27. Civil: Police recieve a request for a report and pictures of items put in the dumpster after owners ignored an eviction notice. A referral to the constable’s office is made at 8:35 a.m. in the 800 block of Utah Street.

Disturbance: Two males are arguing loudly. They decided to argue about money later at 10:10 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.

Fight: Two males are reportedly fighting in the street. They are apparently drunk and the falling appears like fighting at 6:26 p.m. in the 500 block of Nevada Way.

Theme for the day: If you want someone cited, you will be asked to sign the citation. We can’t cite for things we don’t witness.

Arrests 4; medical 0.

Dec. 28. Vagrant: A report comes in about a subject who appears homeless. The subject is asked to move along at 12:50 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.

Soliciting: Subjects are selling perfume out of the trunk of a car. They leave until they get a permit at 4:40 p.m. in

the 1000 block of Nevada Highway.

Suspicious: There is a report of a strange smell and lots of foot traffic. No smell or traffic is discovered at 7:48 p.m. in the 1300 block of Darlene Way.

Theme for the day: Road trips are fun, but if you’re 17 and in your parent’s vehicle, it might be best to wait for a year or so.

Arrests 3; medical 1.

Dec. 29. Recovered stolen vehicle: A vehicle reported stolen to Metropolitan Police Department was towed.

The owner advised the vehicle was not stolen (again) at 9:16 a.m. at the 1600 block of Foothill Drive.

Civil: There is a report of a custody dispute, with parties advised to contact the court for clarification at 3:18 p.m. in the 1200 block of Black Mountain Court.

Assist: A call comes in to assist a parent who has an adult child mixed up in a dangerous lifestyle. Information is given on tough love at 7:17 p.m. in the 1300 block of Nadine Way.

Theme for the day: Sometimes other states take crimes in their jurisdictions very seriously. More than one vacation has been rebooked to the crossbar hotel awaiting extradition.

Arrests 6; medical 5.

Dec. 30. Assist: Two tall males are reportedly walking around the area. No tall males were noted (no short ones either) at 8:51 a.m. in the 700 block of Elm Street.

Assist: Police were called to assist an elderly male with a serious nose bleed. It was handled by rescue at 1:56 p.m. in the 500 block of Avenue G.

Traffic: A subject insists that the bag full of narcotic paraphernalia in the trunk doesn’t belong to him. His vehicle was towed and subject went walking at 3:05 p.m. in the area of Jeri Lane and Darlene Boulevard.

Theme for the day: Be kind. Everyone is enduring something you know nothing about.

Arrests 5; medical 0.

Dec. 31. Accident: A rollover on the dry lake bed was reported at 3:57 p.m. in the area of mile marker 51 and U.S. Highway 95.

Accident: There was a report of two accidents on U.S. Highway 95. One is a rollover; the caller was on the way to work and had no time to check on victims. All involved were OK and much more aware of black ice at 7:24 p.m. near the intersection of U.S. Highways 93 and 95.

Traffic hazard: It was reported that the bridge was very slippery. Nevada Department of Transportation was responding with sand at 7:34 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highways 93 and 95.

Arrests 2; medical 0.

Call of the week: When that officer or dispatcher seem a little grumpy, please be aware they may have had a very tough day up to that point. Give a smile, handshake, or encouraging word.

See you next week.

Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.