Domestic situations often turn volatile

Most begin to explain the domestic issue like this: In the beginning, it was perfect, awesome, wonderful, the best. Of course, it was. Otherwise, there would never be a reason for the call today; the relationship would have died a natural death at that point. He (or she) is a felon, a drug dealer, a thief, an abuser, etc., and I’m afraid of them now.

If the person is any one of those things, chances are, it didn’t begin today. If it was all right before today, then how is it a problem now? Today might be a good day to visit the possibility of a protective order if this is truly an issue.

Every week we have grown adults in our lobby (and your neighborhood) behaving like absolute children in defense of getting the last word. Usually there is a kid or two in tow, and the great divorce/separation/custody drama plays itself out for these little tykes to experience.

He won’t give me my makeup. She wants my TV. The kids were supposed to be dressed and ready. Her new boyfriend knows my business. He took my name off the daycare pickup … on and on it goes. It’s time for folks to start behaving like civilized human beings. Our kids are suffering and learning in the process.

It is a darn shame when a relationship of any kind ends. How we handle ourselves during the process is the skill set we are teaching our kids. No kids? Feel free to make yourself look as ridiculous as you want. Maybe you are breaking up after a lengthy relationship and there are entanglements to be unraveled.

Before you get into the pattern of yelling, screaming, hitting and calling us, please take a minute and realize that we are at a distinct disadvantage from the very start. No one calls us and says, “Mr. Policeman, we are so in love that we think it’s a great idea to combine our bank accounts, purchases, and share all our dirty laundry. What do you think?”

The time to plan for issues is not when you are in the emotional time of a breakup. Just like we plan for extinguishing fires before the need, it might make prudent sense to think a little ahead and discuss what if before the fire. Just a thought from the peanut section of the dispatch center.

May 25. Family disturbance: The roommates end the dispute in a not-so-healthy way at 10:53 a.m. in the 600 block of Nevada Way.

Keep the peace: The caller states the marriage is off, and now the other party has changed the locks and is keeping them from their property at 7:58 p.m. in the 1300 block of Darlene Way.

Thought for the day: I think the next best-selling book should be entitled “When Love Goes Kaput.”

May 26. Private property impound: The caller states that the vehicle parked in the garage is unknown to him and may be stolen at 10:54 a.m. in the 600 block of Mount Elbert Way.

Civil: The 911 caller states that her relative’s apartment is being looted by an ex at 2:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of Darlene Way.

Thought for the day: Police are not in the business of trying to determine the owner of the TV or the blender, folks.

May 27. Trespass: The caller states a relative has been trespassed and is now back on the property at 4:24 a.m. in the 700 block of Elm Street.

Vehicle burglary: One of many unlocked cars is rummaged through for easy-money items at 7:57 a.m. in the 700 block of Sandra Drive.

Thought for the day: We are reaching urgent proportions of mentally ill subjects (some addicted) who are sent to the street and become victims of crime. We need real solutions.

May 28. Fire: Officers and firefighters respond to assist county personnel in knocking down a fire in a dumpster at a nearby construction area at 4:24 a.m. in the area of U.S. Highway 95 and Spring Mountain Road.

Suspicious: The caller states there’s been an assault but won’t give further information. When officers arrive, the story just gets stranger and includes a dog bite, marijuana and some pretty potent alcohol at 11:07 p.m. in the 1500 block of Mancha Drive.

Thought for the day: The only one making sense, sometimes, is the dog.

May 29. Animal: Another report on our resident coyote with an injured leg at 6:47 a.m. in the area of Avenue K and Eighth Street.

Accident: Officers arrive to assist Nevada Highway Patrol with a one-vehicle rollover with the driver complaining of shoulder pain at 10:46 a.m. in the area of mile marker 50 on U.S. 95.

Thought for the day: Department of Wildlife will not respond on these animals, as they are known to live here, unless they are an imminent threat.

May 30. Suspicious: Security reports suspicious activity in the area of the new bypass construction at 12:19 a.m. in the area of U.S. Highway 95 at mile marker 53.

Assault: Officers receive a report of a subject becoming combative and injuring a caregiver at 12:41 p.m. in the 900 block of Adams Boulevard.

Thought for the day: People leave the strangest things at the scene of a crime.

May 31. Suspicious: The subjects camping in the parking lot with a screaming child are asked to move along at 5:20 a.m. in the 1600 block of Nevada Highway.

Truant: The very young subject is out of place, spotted by an alert resident, and quickly returned to school at 9:31 a.m. in the 1400 block of Marita Drive.

Thought for the day: The drawbacks of living in a small town include not being able to get away with anything.

Call of the week: Animal call: A colony of bees invades a valve box next to a popular public area where kids and older folks are gathered for some healthy competition at 9:11 a.m. May 26 in the 1600 block of Buchanan Boulevard. The beekeeper confirms that the colony will need to be removed but doesn’t want to speed up the events in the area by adding a swarm of angry flying time bombs. We rope off the area until the cool of the evening, when there is a little less chance of victim exposure.

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

Chief Shea Traffic Tip

When turning right at an intersection, a driver must start and complete the turn in the extreme right lane. If there is a designated right-turn lane, the right turn must be started in that designated lane and completed in the extreme right lane. Nevada Revised Statute 484B.400