Happy New Year!

Well, it is officially 2008! I can't believe it has been that long since the millennium- seems like that whole Y2K thing was just yesterday!

It's funny how tensions build over the holidays. Everyone has a limited level of tolerance for the behavior of others and we all get a little snappy if things aren't put together just right. I must say that there is a big part of me that is glad to see the holidays pass, mainly due to the influx of calls that come into the office. Take last night for example...
Funny thing about New Years celebrations, they can get loud! Celebration itself must be a foreign idea to many in our community because as I was working last night the 911 lines lit up at midnight with complaints of gun shots heard all over town. It is a difficult thing to try to convince someone that the sounds they hear may actually be something other than a weapon being fired (vehicle backfiring, construction work, firecrackers, etc.).
It takes a well trained ear to tell the difference between gun shots and fireworks and go figure- people actually light off fireworks for big celebrations regardless of what the law says!
We had our officers running every which way looking for the "lone gunman" who many believed capable of being in all corners of town at the same time firing his weapon for no apparent reason!
We went out (as we always do), but alas, no lone gunman. We did find some remnants of fireworks, but shockingly our reporting parties didn't want to meet with an officer for further explanation- they wanted us to check it out so that they could to go back to bed.
Those who work in the Law Enforcement profession don't get paid enough.
Happy New Year!