A Friday Night With The Somersworth Police Department

As I sat in the waiting room at the Somersworth Police station, I could feel the anxiety begin to grow as I wondered exactly what I had let myself in for.

I wasn't there for anything other that to observe a Friday night shift with the local PD and yet I was getting anxious. It wasn't long before I was greeted by the Sargent who was assigned to watch over me for the evening and he explained the rules while I was observing for the shift.

Before long I found myself in the front passenger side of a Somersworth cruiser, which was a first for me. I quickly realized that the cruiser was much more than simply a great looking car, this would basically be our office for the evening. It's a nice office as offices go but after a while it did begin to feel a little cramped space wise. Everything in the cruiser was there for a reason and most was for the safety of not only the officers but also for anyone who might have to travel in the back for whatever reason.  I learned that there were three other cruisers on the streets of the city that night, and the Sargent I was riding with, is assigned to assist and watch over those cruisers and their officers.

The view from the cruiser was a different one that I'm used to when I'm driving around the city in my little car. One thing I quickly noticed were people's reactions as we pulled up so the Sargent could use his laptop to check information, etc. Actually that was a learning moment for me, as it's easy to forget that the police are duty bound to follow the same laws as they uphold, this includes the hands free law which went into effect in July. Each time the Sargent needed to use his laptop to file a report or some other function, he had to pull over to the side of the road before doing so. As he filed a report I watched as curtains twitched, the occupants probably wondering why there was a cruiser parked outside their house. I have to say I was impressed by the Sargent's typing skills. After each and every call, stop and incident a report was filed. Often as that was being completed, another call would come through on the radio from dispatch. It's worth noting, that I was impressed by dispatch. It became obvious after a few hours that dispatch is the glue that holds the entire operation together, so to speak.

Within a few minutes of leaving the station we were called to a domestic incident and there I witnessed mediation skills at their finest and saw the human side of the job, as the situation was quickly deescalated. I quickly put aside any preconceived ideas of what this job entailed as we traveled to call after call. It's easy to forget when we see a police officer that they are not just a blue uniform, they are human beings with emotions and often a family and kids at home. What I really saw was the human side of the Somersworth PD on Friday night.

I witnessed a gambit of emotions from both sides of the law enforcement spectrum and I quickly realized that nothing on the streets is black and white, there are plenty of grey areas because the men and women who swear an oath to protect us, are human beings dealing with other human beings.

I witnessed several traffic stops over the course of the evening and again I saw things from a different perspective. I know what it's like to be waiting for the officer to approach my car and tell me why they stopped me. Sitting in the cruiser I could feel my anxiety levels rise for the Sargent as he approached the car confidently but with a degree of caution. After several traffic stops that evening, I still felt the same way each time the Sargent left the relative safely of the cruiser and stepped onto the road side.

As each call came through, we would respond in an appropriate way. When a report came in of someone who was unresponsive and not breathing, we put the lights and sirens on and took off to the address given. When we arrived there was another cruiser already on scene as well as American Ambulance and a Somersworth fire engine. The Sargent explained that this is standard procedure for this type of call, especially when a drugs overdose is suspected.

This is a scene that I know is played out each and everyday in New Hampshire and sometimes more than once. This year, so far,  Somersworth alone has seen 84 overdoses, 10 of which have resulted in death. This time the person was lucky and went to the hospital to be checked over. The outcome could have been very different though. Left behind was a family struggling with the reality of drug addiction.

The officers asked the person involved if they knew where the now patients drugs stash was, and were given permission to search the bedroom. None was found, but they was informed by the officers that if they did find any to call them so they could come and take it away for safe disposal, and that no charges would be filed. As we left the scene I couldn't help but wonder when the next call would come in from the same address. I'm human too after all.

As we pulled into the police station one last time, I had a new respect for the men and women who risk their lives each and every day to protect the citizens of Somersworth. Walking a few hours in their shoes (or driving along to be more accurate) had changed my perception of exactly what they do each and every day.

Over the course of the evening I saw nothing but professionalism from the officers as they came into contact with the public. I witnessed them run the gambit of disrespect to grateful thanks and everything in-between from the general public and stay calm, professional, and all while following the laws themselves. One thing became crystal clear to me in those few hours, and as I drove home: wearing a uniform and a badge doesn't take away from the fact that all the officers are human beings, who have families and loved ones waiting for them to return after a shift.