Recently, I had the opportunity to engage in crime fighting for a night, by taking a ride-along with the Coronado Police Department. I was able to shadow five different officers, including a trainee, and was truly immersed in the program. After recording the Police Blotter for eCoronado.com each week, it was an opportunity for me to see the behind-the-scenes of what I see reported on paper every Tuesday. The Officer who sponsored my ride-along was Officer Flores, who became an officer after “two years of being an accountant, and [doing] office duties I hated. I have a lot of relatives in law enforcement, so I changed my major and love it. I’ve been an officer for almost 9 years”. Officer Flores welcomed me with a tour of the Coronado Police Department, which is bigger than it appears from the outside; it is comprised of an upstairs and downstairs that contain detective cars, investigative rooms, holding cells, and multiple cameras that record all areas of the Department. My ride-along lasted from 8 o’clock at night to 11 o’clock at night on an unusually busy Wednesday night. Flores, though, says that the nights “when we [officers] get rolling and do lots of police work, those are the best days. It’s challenging and interesting and rewarding. [You] can’t put a price tag on it, I guess”. Laughing, Officer Flores continued, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Just because I don’t catch you doing something today, if you’re involved in that lifestyle, one of these days, you’ll slip up and I’ll catch you. At least that’s how I was taught. That’s not necessarily an official standpoint”.
Our Crown City is split up for the officers in different Beats, so each officer covers a specific beat during their shift. “Our busiest is Beat 1, because there are apartments, the park, bars and restaurant areas, and all the houses. We share responsibility with the base police”. The officers also check near the Coronado Bridge often to make sure no one is messing with it, especially after 9/11.
The police cars are surprisingly high-tech, with mobile data computers which run various operations for the officers as they roam Coronado, such as looking up registrations for vehicle license plates, giving location histories, and giving explanations of notable events happening from the CPD dispatcher. The vehicle is comfortable for those in the front seat, but in the back, all of the seat cushions are removed so that arrested victims cannot hide things in the car, such as drugs or at times, knives.
In the three hours that I rode in Officer Flores’ car, there was a missing juvenile at risk, who Flores found and verified her safety; a guy laying under a Jeep near the bridge; a traffic stop for basic violations; and a man arrested for public intoxication. For the young man under the Jeep, officers were called in for back-up to assess the situation; as it turned out, he was wanted on an outside warrant. However, he had to be let off with a warning. Flores explained that “that was a case where that’s someone who could have gotten arrested, but because of overcrowding and public services, the San Diego County jail doesn’t want to arrest them. We’re looking into addressing how we handle warrants in the county so it gives us some other options for enforcement. That’s a frustrating situation; it’s like fishing: sometimes you catch a whole bunch of stuff, sometimes you catch nothing. It’s a logical thing, though, because you don’t want 20 bike thieves and no room for a murderer”.
Addressing the frequent bike thefts, Flores said, “Sometimes it’s just an opportunity people see and they jump on it. Inadequate locks are easily defeated.” Officer Flores assured me that, “Typically [the Coronado policeman] are out and about. Whenever we’re not handling a specific call, we’re trying to be proactive. We’ll be visible in those areas [that may have problems], so that we can be there on the off chance that somebody comes by to steal a bike.” The policemen of Coronado are on top of the frustrating issue which plagues many Coronado residents; in fact, Flores caught one of the crafty criminals. “A couple months ago, we had a bike thief arrested right here [by Coronado High School]. He stole a bike and stayed in the area, and a couple hours later, I saw him by the ferry landing and arrested him. He admitted to stealing bikes. That was his niche, what he did.”
To say the least, my experience with the Coronado Police Department was eye-opening, and gave me a newfound respect for the law enforcers in our community. I realized that police officers have very keen senses of awareness for their surroundings, because there is a limited time opportunity for them to see details and take them into account. For people aged 14-20 hoping to become involved with the police work in the future, the CPD has developed an Explorer Program, which includes law enforcement training. Explorers and trainers go out of the city to assist other departments, creating a hands-on experience. Kids in the program even receive badges and uniforms; currently, there are CHS students enrolled. Officer Flores summed up Coronado police officer’s sentiments regarding Coronado residents by stating that there is “a lot of citizen involvement with the department, whether it’s people riding along for school, or potential applicants, or those that have a knack or interest for what we do. One of the thing Coronado enjoys probably more than a lot of cities is the involvement; people are very proactive about what goes on. From a law enforcement perspective, that’s fantastic”.
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