I had not been a police officer for a long time. My fears surfaced again. Would other members of the squad accept me? Would I be judged? How would I react in critical situations? Could I regain my courage again? So many questions led to the many feelings. I was going on patrol again, no matter what. I could not expose my insecurities to the other police officers on the shift.
Chapter 10: THE BEACH
“210 to radio,” I advised Northern Dispatch.
“210,” the dispatcher responded.
“210 in service,” I replied as I drove from headquarters to Rivera Beach on my first day on patrol. Rivera Beach was about 20 miles from headquarters. It took me about half an hour just to get to my post.
I became very familiar with the activity, or lack of, in the Beach from my assignment in the radio room. There were only 2 post cars, 209 and 210, assigned to cover the Beach. We had one umbrella car as backup. It was a very quiet area and if you did not want to get involved in anything, this was a great assignment.
As I drove to the Beach, I listened to the radio. Other post cars already received calls for service in Glen Burnie and Brooklyn Park. I thought about why Sergeant Unger, my squad leader, assigned me to this gravy post. I knew he lived in Rivera Beach.
In my skepticism and lack of trust, I believed that I was either assigned to the area to keep me out of trouble or for the department to see how much trouble I could get into. Either way, it did not matter. I was a police officer again and it felt good to have the power.
That first role call was a learning experience for me. I developed the art of listening in Western and so I just sat back and observed the conversations. The main goal, for me, was not to have the other guys think I had a stereotypical Baltimore City police attitude.
Sergeant Al Unger was a big man but very quiet. He was getting ready for retirement and I knew he did not want anyone to make waves. His personality was nothing like Tim Florey. Sergeant Unger went strictly by the book.
Lieutenant Parker, in contrast, was loud and very vocal. Although he had been away from the Baltimore City Police Department for many years, Lieutenant Parker still had that Baltimore City mentality and tone of voice. He was all police, old school, and I could tell he enjoyed his beer.
All the guys on the shift welcomed me but I knew I had to prove myself to be accepted. I was still a rookie and being an ex-Baltimore City police officer had very little meaning. This was Anne Arundel County and not the city.
“We do things differently here,” Sergeant Unger said as he shook my hand.
The primary topic of discussion that first day was the series of arson fires in Glen Burnie. Restaurants were targeted and we all knew the fires were related to payoffs or compensation, but it could not be proved. The county had its own level of organized crime. I listened to the conversations and found the action to be very interesting.
I drove around Rivera Beach that first day comparing the area to Western. It was a different world. The Beach was nothing like Western. Everyone was white. It was a laid-back community. I sensed the people did not appreciate aggressive police enforcement. In fact, the people I talked to that first day did not want police to get involved in anything unless we were called. Be visible but don’t create trouble.
It did not take long to learn that some police activities were the same. We had periodic shift parties at the end of 3-11 rotation. A couple of the guys who worked patrol posts close to headquarters went to the police bar across the road. They loaded the trunks of their patrol cars with cases of beer and we met in a nearby field to discuss the events of the night or the week. Not everyone attended these unofficial staff meetings; mostly, the guys who had to return to headquarters to turn in their patrol cars. At times, a few women from headquarters stopped by.
It was rare that a supervisor was part of the group. They all had their personal police vehicles and usually went straight home. After the meetings, we drove home knowing that none of us would be arrested for driving while intoxicated because, after all, we were the police.
Third shift, the graveyard shift, was the most exciting but, at times, the most boring in the Beach. After the bars closed for the night, the Beach was dead. Therefore, on many nights, I took the term ‘graveyard’ literally and found a cemetery to sleep in for a couple of hours until dawn. I knew no one would find me there.
One thing I learned in Western about the rules was that you could do anything you want as long as you keep your actions within the law. And if you are bored, you can create your own source of entertainment and justify it by simply enforcing the law.
I discovered one aspect of law enforcement that really annoyed people – police presence. Rivera Beach had a lot of bars and nightclubs. After the holidays, the Beach was more quiet than usual. Therefore, I created a new game – bar checks. I knew this routine enforcement annoyed and irritated the establishment owners. They were accustomed to the police minding their own business and leaving the bars and clubs alone. But I still had a vision of a future assignment in Vice and Narcotics.
So, on second shift, I made nightly bar checks. What I discovered, and strictly enforced, eventually led to my transfer because of the number of complaints.
Each bar or club had several ‘one-armed bandits,’ or slot machines. They generated a lot of money, not only for the establishment, but also for the organization that owned the machines. A legal vending company owned and operated most of the machines, which, in reality, was owned by the Valentine family, a local county connection to suspected organized crime. However, Vinnie Valentine never violated the law. And it was not illegal to operate slot machines.
Every machine or money-generating device had to be licensed by the state. Those licenses were required to be current and legal. Moreover, all licenses were required to be posted in plain sight somewhere in the establishment. That was the law. To me, enforcing the law was my game, my game of chance. Others gambled with either the legal lottery or the numbers. I gambled with the law.
On second shift, 3-11 shift, I made visits to all the bars, clubs and establishments that had slot machines and other gambling devices that generated income. Apparently, the police in the Beach overlooked that type of law enforcement in the past. I was told that it was not my job and that the machines were not illegal or hurting anyone. My goal was more visionary than just routine patrol. I had a fascination with any level of organized crime and drugs. Although the Valentine family was low level, we all knew about their connections.
“I would like to check your machine licenses,” I demanded as I walked into each establishment. That statement was unexpected to everyone. The patrons reacted as though I were invading their territory. The management, although accommodating, was surprised and annoyed.
Most of the amusement licenses hanging on the walls were invalid and expired. Some could not be found. Others were not posted in plain view. Although the slot machines were very popular and taking in a lot of money, most of them violated state licensing. And that meant the establishments were also in violation.
“Out of Order by the Authority of The Anne Arundel County Police Department.” I felt very powerful, but a little uneasy, as I unplugged each machine in violation and posted the sign on the devices in each bar, club and establishment. I felt the eyes watching me and heard the quiet murmur.
The management of each establishment was advised that the machines in question could not be plugged back in and operated until current amusement licenses were obtained. This action resulted in substantial loss of revenue to both the businesses and the vending company. The owners of the bars and clubs were not happy. I knew my unorthodox and unwelcome enforcement also affected the Valentine family where it hurt the most – their profits.
I wrote a report for each incident. I wanted to make sure my activity was documented and headquarters, especially the Criminal Investigation Division, noticed it.