I’d like to address a subject that just doesn’t make any sense to me: the ever-increasing incidents of family members stealing from their elderly relatives. I guess in Wyoming we just handle things a little bit differently, but I can promise you this — if I had even had one smidgen of an idea that I was going to flounce on into my grandmother’s house and help myself to her jewelry and checkbook, she would have made sure that I didn’t manage to “walk” out the door. And if I would have made it outside without her finding out, the rest of the family would have hunted me down like the low-life animal that I was and beaten me half to death.
I guess I grew up in not so much of a “kinder, gentler time.” However, there was never a doubt in my head that I had expectations of behavior and ethics, and if I didn’t take those seriously, well then, there was always an aunt, uncle, cousin, or other in-law (or outlaw) who was more than ready to provide some “extended education” on the matter.
I would hope that, at some point, we would get back to some type of value system in our world. I have watched things deteriorate to a point that I’m almost ashamed to be witness to it all. I think most of us can agree that the “kinder and gentler” approach just isn’t working. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I definitely know what it isn’t — looking the other way and letting unacceptable behavior become acceptable.
Let’s all take a minute to look around us during our daily lives and try to make ourselves part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Aug. 20. Burglary: The caller arrives home and finds some big-ticket items have been taken when no one was home at 7:42 a.m. in the 1400 block of Medical Park Drive.
Suspicious: The reporting party says noises were heard from the roof again at 9:37 a.m. in the 500 block of Hidden Cove Drive.
Suspicious: The nearby neighbor has the garage door halfway closed and the light has been blinking on and off for hours. An officer removes the obstructing object and the door closes at 8:55 p.m. in the 1500 block of Bermuda Dunes Drive.
Thought for the day: Take a minute and make sure those garage doors close before retiring for the night.
Aug. 21. See person: A man says there are people walking around in his yard and that he is responding with a weapon at 4:34 p.m. in the 500 block of Avenue K.
Assist other: An off-duty officer from another jurisdiction needs assistance with two reckless drivers he has detained at 2:25 p.m. at Railroad Pass.
Disturbance: An intoxicated caller invites the neighbors for drinks but now wants them to go home and needs us to accomplish this at 9:25 p.m. in the 1200 block of Potosi Street.
Thought for the day: Remember the two-drink rule: Two drinks and you go home from some friend’s parties.
Aug. 22. Civil: A person is in the lobby to ask advice on getting a squatter out of a vacant rental property. After some deep thought the miscreant decides he would rather just move along than visit the jail in Henderson at 11:56 p.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona Street.
Fraud: A woman says she received a credit card in the mail she didn’t apply for at 12:27 p.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona Street.
Animal: A person reports being dive-bombed by a bird that flew in when the door was open at 1:34 p.m. in the 700 block of Marina Drive.
Thought for the day: You never can be sure who or what might come in when the door is left open.
Aug. 23. Drugs: A casual conversation turns into an arrest for possession after the man acts a little twitchy at 2:45 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.
Animal: A man is concerned after he finds a rattlesnake crossing the road at 8:34 p.m. in the 100 block of Laguna Lane.
Animal: A man is distraught after finding a rattlesnake sharing the stall in the men’s room at 8:34 a.m. in the 1000 block of Yucca Street.
Thought for the day: Sounds like the snakes are moving and shaking these days.
Aug. 24. Assist other: Officers attempt a traffic stop and the subjects flee and try to hide their vehicle after having been involved in a rash of incidents in the Henderson area at 3:36 a.m. in the 1600 block of Nevada Highway.
Civil: A man would like to speak to an officer about being locked out of his residence by the other occupants and it’s hot so he would appreciate it if we hurried at 10:01 a.m. in the 1300 block of Shenandoah Street.
Animal: A person comes into the lobby to report a vehicle with dogs inside and the windows all rolled up; however, the officer arrives and the vehicle is running with the air conditioning on full and the owner returning with his meal to go at 5:10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Arizona Street.
Thought for the day: Running from the officers only ensures that the next jurisdiction will find you.
Aug. 25. DUI: The driver just had two really big beers at 1:39 a.m. in the area of Temple Rock Road and U.S. Highway 93.
Assist other: Officers respond to an address to see if the owner of a vehicle knows where the car is since it has been found with the windows all broken out in another jurisdiction at 3:49 a.m. in the 800 block of Ninth Street.
Suspicious: Even though the vehicle has been parked in this location several days, we still have to tag it and wait the 24 hours at 9:10 a.m. in the area of Arizona Street and Nevada Way.
Thought for the day: Just get a room and stay the night if you’ve been drinking. It’s probably not worth the amount of money and heartache spent.
Aug. 26. Civil: The landlord and tenant aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a few things; however, the officer is able to mediate the dispute at 6:13 a.m. in the 500 Avenue K.
Private property impound: A vehicle is impounded after it was parked at the wrong residence and the owner cannot be determined at 9:31 a.m. in the 500 block of New Mexico Street.
Theft: Officers receive a report of a subject stealing items from an elderly resident and forging checks at 6:59 p.m. in the 1400 block of Medical Park Drive.
Thought for the day: Come on folks. Stealing from the elderly. Really?
Call(s) of the week: While assisting child protective services on a child-welfare issue, the officer comes across an extremely emaciated and critically injured dog at an unrelated location. The officer and removes the animal from the location, gets it immediate medical attention, issues copious amount of citations, assists child protective services in an inspection of the deplorable living conditions for the children living here, strongly advises the subjects not to have any more animals or children and advises the subjects they will not be getting their animal back at 11 a.m. in the 1500 block of Nevada Highway. Good job officer and Aco.
Have a great week.
Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.