WHO, WHO, WHO, LET THE DOGS OUT????

The temperature was around 74 degrees when I arrived at the PD for Squad Meeting. Today was supposed to be my day off, but my seargeant asked if I could fill in on the front desk since we were short officers on the street.

So here I am answering the emergency and non emergency lines when I get this call from a citizen. He explained to me a dog was outside tearing up his trash. I listened politely, then responded with, "Sir, I can put in a planned call for animal control to come out around 8am, but they have gone home for the evening and have transferred their line over to the Police Department.

Needless to say, silence was on the other end of the line, I said, "hello," nothing but silence, then I said, "hello" again, still no answer, a third time, "hello sir?," then he answers with...."Do you mean to tell me that you are not going to come out here and get this dog and clean up this trash?" I responded, "Sir, animal control has gone home, it is two o'clock in the morning and this is not an emergency." Again, silence, so I said, "Sir are you there?" He answers, "yes I am here and I guess I will just have to take care of it myself!!!!" I responded..."Sir, do you want me to send animal control out in the morning?" He responded with, "NO!! I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT MYSELF!!" Then he hung up on me.

So fifteen minutes passed, the phone rings, I answer, "Police Department, May I help you?" This voice booms out, "This is so and so, I just called back to tell you that since you could care less about coming out here to take care of this dog, I have recorded you on a recorded line!!" I responded, "Sir, thank you for calling me back and letting me know that!" What I really wanted to say was, "well, that makes two of us cause I have you on a recorded line also!" But, I remained professional and was as courteous as I could be. Then he booms out, "Not only that, I have you on eight hours of VHS tape!!!" I almost laughed! I thought to myself...that must be pretty boring, cause I just got to work and I was sleeping for the past six hours!! Anyway, I explained again that this call was not an emergency and it wasn't that I didn't care about his problem, but it wasn't an emergency. He again repeats to me that he has me on a recorded line and on eight hours of VHS tape. I again wanted to say to him that I too had him recorded and if he called back I would get him for phone harassment, but being the sweet, kind, understanding person that I am, I let him rant and then thanked him and then hung up.

I have to remember there's a reason behind the ranting of a citizen, perhaps something else is going on that is making them so angry and taking it out on me. I always try to diffuse the situation, however there are times I want to laugh or say, "Get a life!" But I can't do that, I can think it, but I can't say it!!! Many times I silently pray and God intervenes, calms the person down and I can do my job. There are other times that the person just wants to scream at someone, so I let them rant, then I shake it off and go on. Life is too short to let things get to me. I love my job. I don't intend to let the ten percent of the people who have too much time on their hands control my emotions or actions. I am going to let the Lord be the Lord and Master over my whole life, including my feelings. I hope the man who called has a better day, I know I too would have been aggravated if some little furry creature got into my trash!