By Michael Walker
Executive Director, Central Coast Gang Investigators Association
So you are one of the lucky ones who gets to travel to and from work on the city’s gas. You have a take-home car — detective car, CSI van, K-9 vehicle, patrol car, etc. It’s nice not to put mileage on your personal car and have the city cover your commute, but at what cost?
Too frequently law enforcement officers leave their agency car in the driveway of their houses. I have spoken to some who reason that the neighbors already know what they do for a living, so no need to hide it. Others say that it is a good deterrent and a burglary suspect may choose another house.
Let’s look at the negative side of “advertising” where you live by leaving your car outside.
First, you are leaving a vehicle loaded with police equipment where someone can steal it (prior to your waking up and stopping them). I don’t care what type of super “tac-tician” tactical officer you are, you will not be able to prevent the “smash and grab” from your bedroom while sleeping.
The suspect can smash or slip the lock, access the trunk from that nice little yellow button-up front, and take all the equipment from the trunk before you get your on shorts and have your Glock in hand to prevent it. You will come outside to find the trunk open. Your guns, load bearing vest, radio equipment, and other goodies: gone. And you’ll be left angry, feeling the chill in the air.
Next, people target law enforcement for reasons other than theft. This week, a lit bomb was left under a marked patrol vehicle in the driveway of a
Imagine if the explosive device was a pipe bomb, placed in the engine compartment with a different type of detonator, and the officer got in to go to work and…. you get the point. These things are far less likely to happen if the vehicle is secured in a garage.
Lastly, your neighbors knowing who you are and what you do is one thing. I will argue that this is inevitable, no matter how standoffish you are with them, no matter how you look coming or going from work, regardless of interaction. Sooner or later the neighbors will figure it out.
Your real worry are suspects driving around the area looking for a good spot to break into — suspects looking for valuables, guns, and other things to use or sell. What better spot to hit on a burglary then a cop’s house. The odds of getting your guns, your electronic toys (you know us cops love those), and other items of value is great. So why put a billboard in your driveway that says “ I work with weapons, electronic toys and other goodies that you will really like! C’mon in and check out my huge inventory!” in your driveway for all to see?
I would argue that the new sports car or jet-skis are better off outside, covered and locked down, then the mobile equipment locker that we call our office each day.