This week I will examine another portion of my series on “If you see something, say something.” I am looking at our ability to be a good witness.
Most of us would like to think that, in a given situation, especially an urgent one, we would have photolike memory of the events going on. Statistics have found that it is just the opposite. We have a substantial loss of the ability to perceive and remember important details in emergent situations.
Let’s add into the mix that every person has a very different idea of what is suspicious and what is not. Take the challenge and test yourself and your success at paying attention to your surroundings. Go to www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something/take-challenge. Watch the videos and find out how you do. Watch with your friends and compare. You may be very surprised.
What we see and remember are largely dependent on many different portions of our cognition and abilities. Some may focus on the people, some on the activities going on, some on the make, model or year of items featured in the sequence. It’s easy to see how three witnesses to any event will come up with three very different recollections.
These are the things that we need from you when you are calling us with suspicious information. The more you can provide, the better the chance we will have at locating the correct target.
Person: Race, sex, age, height, weight, hair color (including facial), eye color, hat, shirt/jacket, pants/shorts, shoes and extras such as a limp, scar or tattoo. It’s helpful to know if the person is carrying anything, the direction they are going, and how long ago you saw them.
Vehicle: color, approximate year, make, body style (two door, four door, pickup, etc.), additional details (stickers, roll bars, dark tint, etc.) license plate, state, driver, passengers, direction of travel and time lapse.
March 8. Fraud: Another victim of the “grandson” calling from jail takes the bait at 1005 Arizona St.
Welfare: The intoxicated woman has two suitors pretty convinced that (each) he is the one and she is a victim of the other one at 3:16 p.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.
Thought for the day: I can promise you that if you are asked to purchase gift cards to post bail, it’s a hoax.
March 9. Accident with injuries: One driver is en route to the emergency room with the patient and support parrot in tow, but the camper van has seen better days at 8:57 a.m. in the area of U.S. Highway 93 and U.S. Highway 95.
DUI: Joining Forces officers remove another intoxicated driver from the roadway at 7:38 p.m. in the area of U.S. 95 and Cheyenne Court.
Thought for the day: The patient and parrot find Boulder City very responsive, and the bird is practicing its siren impersonation.
March 10. Assist other department: The motor home fire closes northbound U.S. 93 for over an hour, and traffic takes two more to completely recover at 10:34 a.m. in the area of the overpass and U.S. 93.
Accident: The traffic snafu causes frayed nerves and short tempers, and one driver finds the benefits of speed don’t outweigh the drawbacks of curb jumping and damage to two other vehicles, along with a fairly large citation, at 12:23 p.m. in the area of U.S. 93 and Veterans Memorial Drive.
Thought for the day: Unfortunately, there is no way to predict how long a road will be closed when crews are on a dynamic situation. The long way around is sometimes the smarter choice.
March 11. Disturbance other: The man is stretching a long garden hose back and forth across the street while drinking a beer at 7:46 a.m. in the 1200 block of Potosi Street.
Welfare: The elderly man calls a military recruiting office to offer his services at 3:28 p.m. in the 800 block of Avenue B.
Thought for the day: Nothing says breakfast like a cold beer.
March 12. Disturbance: The woman has shed her pants and is now yelling at an invisible person at 11:32 a.m. in the 800 block of Buchanan Boulevard.
Grand theft: The caller has returned to his shop and found an expensive piece of equipment missing at 7:58 p.m. in the 600 block of Wells Road.
Thought for the day: Is it Friday yet?
March 13. DUI with accident: The official fatality toll is limited to one nice tree, a truck and a very expensive light pole at 3:26 a.m. in the area of Adams Boulevard and Veterans Memorial Drive.
Soliciting: The caller reports provocative soliciting in the parking lot at 5:05 p.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.
Thought for the day: Just about the time you think you’ve heard it all.
March 14. Shots: The subject suffers a wound in the hand when the unloading of the weapon takes an unexpected turn at 8:20 a.m. in the 1400 block of Boulder City Parkway.
Assist other: The delineation barrel and the luxury vehicle met by accident, and the owner of the car is not a bit happy about it at 10:07 p.m. in the area of Railroad Pass.
Thought for the day: The middle of the hand is definitely not the place to strive for a 9 mm piercing.
Call(s) of the week: Noise: The resident is concerned when the neighbor decides to hoist a scooter into a tree by way of several large chains. The project is making quite a racket, combined with the tree being old and brittle, and she is afraid he may fall out of his tree and be run over by his unique ornament. The exterior decorator advises he is only putting it in the tree because it is foreign made and not good for anything else at 6:49 a.m. March 10 in the 1200 block of Potosi Street.
Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with the Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.